• admin
• Herald
• July 2, 2012
• 70 views

Boob costs Zim Government US$1m

Lloyd Gumbo  and Gamuchirai Chinamasa
GOVERNMENT lost over US$1 million after Treasury “unprocedurally” paid US$15 000 sitting allowances to some Members of Parliament and individuals not entitled to the perks.

The beneficiaries include ministers and expelled and deceased legislators.
Treasury deposited the funds into the Ministry of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs’ account for disbursement.
All lawmakers were in December last year given a flat US$15 000 in sitting allowances, without calculating their dues individually.

This was despite the fact that some of the legislators were entitled to only US$375.
Lawmakers were overpaid by US$582 675, while Senators were unduly paid US$298 200.

Weeklong investigations by The Herald revealed that some members of the executive, mostly from MDC-T, got the allowances that were a preserve of Parliamentary backbenchers.

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• Herald
• July 2, 2012
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Indaba over civil servants’ pay rise

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Herald Reporter
GOVERNMENT has invited all civil servants’ unions for a meeting on Wednesday to discuss salaries and conditions of service.
The National Joint Negotiating Council meeting is expected to bring to the table Government negotiators and Apex Council representatives.

The Apex Council brings together the Public Service Association, Zimbabwe Teachers Association, Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe and the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe.

The unions last Friday confirmed the meeting, adding that they were expecting nothing short of an increment.
They said if Government failed to award them an increment this month, they will embark on a nationwide strike.

PSA president Mrs Cecelia Alexander said the Government should honour the agreement it made in January that salaries would be reviewed next month.
“They are the ones who have written to us requesting for a meeting and we expect nothing short of an increment as per our January agreement.

“We have already written to President Mugabe for him to intervene. It is our hope that something will come up,” she said.

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• Herald
• July 2, 2012
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Prime Minister’s question time irrelevant, say analysts

Herald Reporter
THE Prime Minister’s question time is irrelevant given the lack of opposition parties in Parliament, analysts have said.
This comes amid reports that MDC-T legislators rehearse questions they ask Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in a bid to build his image.

There is no opposition in Parliament with all members coming from Zanu PF, MDC-T and the MDC, the three parties that form the inclusive Government.
Responding to claims that MDC-T was stage-managing Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s question time to boost his image and enunciate his party’s policies on various issues, political analysts yesterday said the composition of Parliament made the slot unnecessary.

University of Zimbabwe law lecturer Professor Lovemore Madhuku said countries that had similar arrangements gave opposition members opportunities to question government leaders on various issues.
“From an expert point of view, the Prime Minister’s question time has little value when there is no opposition.

‘‘If you look at countries where it originated from, you will realise that it was created for opposition parties to raise questions to their government leaders. In Britain the leader of the opposition is actually given an opportunity to ask uninterrupted questions to the Prime Minister before others can come in.

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• July 2, 2012
• 31 views

Vice President Mujuru urges business to engage Govt

By Fanuel Kangondo recently in VICTORIA FALLS

Vice-President Joice Mujuru has urged the business community to actively engage the Government

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• July 2, 2012
• 48 views

Zim will never be a colony again: Biti

FINANCE Minister and MDC-T secretary general Mr Tendai Biti has said Zimbabwe will never be a colony again and urged Zimbabweans to…

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• Herald
• July 2, 2012
• 47 views

Tsvangirai admits party rocked by defections

Bulawayo Bureau
MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai admitted over the weekend that his party has been rocked by defections to the MDC faction led by Professor Welshman Ncube.