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Lecturers at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust), University of Zimbabwe (UZ), Midlands State University (MSU) and Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) downed tools last week to protest against the delays in paying their February salaries as well as bonuses for last year. This prompted the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Oppah Muchinguri to appeal to acting President Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene. Following the intervention of Cde Mnangagwa, government on Tuesday released the outstanding salaries for lecturers and staff for all state universities and appealed to the striking lecturers to return to work.
Minister Muchinguri said the payment of bonuses to the lecturers will be staggered. The UZ was forced to close on Tuesday after students demonstrated in solidarity with lecturers and non-academic staff and the authorities announced that the institution would remain closed until March 24. Minister Muchinguri, however, ordered the authorities to resume lectures yesterday.
She said the government’s position regarding the resumption of lectures at the UZ had been communicated to the Vice Chancellor Levy Nyagura. Minister Muchinguri said the delays in paying salaries for lecturers and non-academic staff was as a result of financial challenges the government is facing. She said efforts were being made to address the problem.
The delays in paying salaries for lecturers and non-academic staff at state universities confirm the fears of both the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Patrick Chinamasa and Zimbabwe Revenue Authority Commissioner General Gershem Pasi that the public wage bill is not sustainable. Minister Chinamasa and Pasi have said there is a need to reduce the public wage bill.
Pasi said the government should seriously consider reducing salaries by 20 percent across the board to stimulate economic growth. Minister Chinamasa while agreeing with Pasi on the need to reduce the wage bill, however said government will first seek broad consensus on strategies to reduce the public wage bill in the wake of strained fiscal space. The Civil Service Commission chairperson Mariyawanda Nzuwa has ruled out reducing salaries for civil servants saying such action was illegal.
He, however, said in a bid to reduce the wage bill, the Commission had embarked on a massive head count of all government employees to weed out duplication of duties in ministries, something he said contributed to a bloated salary bill gobbling 83 percent of revenue. Nzuwa said it was important for ministries to merge some of their roles in order to reduce the number of workers.
He said during the inclusive government, a lot of ministries were created and these exerted pressure on the wage bill. It is not in dispute that the public wage bill is not sustainable so a solution has to be found as soon as possible.
It is a fact that revenue inflows into government coffers will remain suppressed until the economy starts performing well. Government should therefore take decisive action to reduce the wage bill and if it is to avoid delays in paying salaries.
Reducing salaries, as pointed out by Nzuwa, is not feasible so government should consider other options such as reducing the number of civil servants, reducing the size of government and even drastic measures such as doing away with the Senate or reducing the number of MPs. We want to once again implore the government to urgently act to reduce the wage bill before it is too late.
Online Reporter