Biti snubs chiefs

review of their salaries.
Chief’s Council president Fortune Charumbira told New Ziana that Minister Biti kept them waiting at his offices the whole day while saying that he was on his way there.
“We went to his offices early in the morning accompanied by Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo,” he said. “We had requested for a meeting with him to discuss the issue of reviewing our salaries since we are being paid less than US$200,” he said.

Chief Charumbira insisted that Minister Biti had been notified of the meeting in advance.
The inclusive Government has done little to improve the welfare of traditional leaders in the country. Some chiefs have so far not benefited from the car scheme that was being spearheaded by the previous government.

The failure by Treasury to cater for the welfare of chiefs has been construed as punishment by MDC-T, of which Biti is secretary general, for siding with Zanu-PF.
Most chiefs in the country have openly pledged their allegiance to Zanu-PF which they say restored their heritage which the colonial settlers had taken away.

“He kept on telling us that he was on his way but he did not show up until we decided to leave in the afternoon,” Chief Charumbira said.
Efforts to get a comment from Minister Biti were futile as his mobile phone was not reachable. – New Ziana.