By Lloyd Takawira
In a usual style that has characterized our country response to the right to demonstrations and petitioning, armed police yesterday (Wednesday) moved to block a march by deeply dejected public civil servants protesting paltry salaries of US$50 (R741) a month in a country which has since surpassed a triple-digit inflation rate.
Government workers are demanding a minimum wage of US$475 (R7,039) and are demanding that they are paid in US dollars instead of the local currency.
Zimbabwe’s government which has been haggling with its workers over salaries for much of the year, as wages constantly get eroded by a more than 300% inflation rate and the country’s worst economic crisis in a decade.
The country last week announced it will introduce a new currency into the economy this week in an effort to ease cash shortages in the economy.
Zimbabwe faces myriad problems with the bulk of Zimbabwe’s 300,000 government workers saying they cannot even afford to go to work as they earn a paltry ZW$1,200 (R741), making them among the least-paid public workforce in the world.
Buoyed by the resolve to air our their grievances as stipulated by the constitution, the restive government workers gathered in central Harare to march but were blocked by a large number of anti-riot policemen armed with guns, tear gas and baton sticks.
Through their petition which was addressed to the labour minister Dr Sekai Nzenza, the Apex Council, an umbrella workers’ union, said negotiations with the government had hit a brick wall after the government failed to offer a salary increment.
“We want value to be restored to our salaries. We are demanding a minimum salary for the lowest-paid civil servant to be $475 (R7,039),” Cecilia Alexander, Apex council chair told reporters.
She warned of “serious unrest that will impact on productivity and service delivery” if the government does not address the workers’ plight.
“Only monkeys can survive on peanuts,” one placard read, while another said: “Give us salaries in USD” and yet another said; “You have subjected us to real slavery and poverty.”
The heavily armed officers, however, cordoned and barred the group from reaching the minister’s office to hand over their petition, a reminiscent of the heavy-handedness of former president Robert Mugabe.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general said the move by the police to block the march was unconstitutional.
“President Mnangagwa must be told that what is happening is completely unnecessary. We don’t want to deliver a grenade or bomb, just a petition,” Majongwe said.
