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Zimbabwe could have made tremendous strides in its effort to turn around the economy had those entrusted to lead drivers of the economy such as parastatals, shunned corruption. It is unfortunate that many of the chief executives of these important institutions decided to enrich themselves at the expense of the economy. The media has been awash with stories of CEOs of parastatals and other government institutions that have been paying themselves hefty salaries and perks that are now commonly referred to as obscene salaries in an economy where the majority of workers are either not receiving salaries or are being paid salaries way below the Poverty datum Line. Some workers are earning as little as $200 a month yet the PDL is pegged at more than $500.
There have been shocking revelations of CEOs earning close to $500 000 a month. What is disturbing is that the enterprises or parastatals that these CEOs are leading are struggling to meet their financial obligations. An average Zimbabwean worker is earning between $500 and $700 a month yet we have individuals operating in the same economy earning about half-a-million dollars a month.
What the CEOs are earning is just outrageous to say the least. We want to commend the media for coming out in full force to expose the evil that is threatening the growth of the country’s economy. The obscene salaries are also being paid to senior managers of councils whose revenue is derived from struggling residents. What justification is there for the Town Clerk of Harare, for example, to earn nearly $40,000 a month?
The senior managers of councils apart from being paid hefty salaries, also enjoy generous perks such as full payment for school fees for their children, holiday allowances for themselves and their families and other such perks. The President Cde Mugabe has already warned that the looters will be punished severely and has also criticised government ministers for failing to supervise the running of parastatals.
The ministers should wake up from their slumber and do what they were mandated to do on their appointment. Those that have taken up the job to just enjoy ministerial comfort and perks have no business to remain in cabinet. Ministers’ performance should be assessed periodically and those that are found wanting should be axed. Zanu-PF has come up with a performance appraisal system for its MPs and the same should apply to government ministers.
Those that have slept on the job and allowed CEOs under their portfolios to loot public funds through paying themselves obscene salaries should pull up their socks and urgently address their shortcomings. The nation envisages a situation whereby the only job security is competency.
It is a fact that the wheels of justice are not moving fast enough for the angry nation which is still in a state of shock at what was happening behind the scenes at most parastatals and government institutions. The looting is also rampant in the private sector where again the ordinary workers are earning salaries that can hardly take them to the next pay day while their bosses are earning hefty salaries and perks.
The government therefore has a mammoth task to clean up the mess in both the public and private sectors that is hindering efforts to turn around the economy.
Online Reporter