LATEST: PM’s office exposed

The NGO, Institute of Democratic Alternative of Zimbabwe is allegedly bankrolling operations at the research and communications office that was raided by police last week after some officials working there were accused of impersonating the police, possessing articles for criminal use and breaching the Official Secrets Act.

The arrested officials, Thabani Mpofu, Felix Matsinde, Mehluli Tshuma and Warship Dumba allegedly compiled pseudo dockets that were being used by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission to target Government officials they accuse of being corrupt.

Revelations by the employee, Douglas Munakira, in a letter addressed to the PM Tsvangirai’s secretaries Mr Ian Makone and Alex Magaisa showed that senior officials in the premier’s office could be looting donor funds while some workers were going for months without being paid.

The letter, copied to principal directors in the PM’s office, Mr Jacob Mafume and Norman Sachikonye, also confirmed the existence of parallel structures in the inclusive Government and interference by Western-funded donors.

In an interview today Munakira, who is claiming close to US$10 000 in salary arrears, said he had since resigned from his post over “unfair labour practices,inhuman treatment, and corruption”.

“I left the department on February 17 and I have engaged my lawyers to recover my money. Last Friday, I talked to Mafume whom I know as someone in charge of sourcing funds from donors in the PM’s office and he promised that I would get the money today but I have received nothing,” he said.

“I joined the PM’s office at number 14 Bath Road, Avondale, Harare  on October 2009 as a security officer up to January 2012. From that period to last month I was working as a research officer in the Research and Development Department led by Thabani Mpofu.”

In the letter, Munakira said in September 2009 his monthly salary was slashed from US$400 to US$300 without explanation.

“I complained but nothing was done as the whole system is corrupt and when I was promoted as a research officer I was entitled to a salary of US$900 per month. However, my salary remained unchanged,” he said.

“At times I could get my salary on the 9th or 10th of the following month and I suspect that the money would have been diverted somewhere since the money for salaries comes from donors through IDAZIM. Since December 2012 I have not been paid.”

He said he took his complaint to Mr Magaisa who then assigned their legal expert Ms Rose Zigomo to look into the issue.

“We verbally agreed but on the payment date, almost everyone was paid and I was not paid to date and everytime I get an excuse that my salary was being sorted out,” Munakira said.

“Everytime I try to engage them, they say saka uchazoita sei kana Save (Tsvangirai) vave kutonga nokuti vachakuona semunhu aida kuvakonesa.”

He also revealed that the PM’s private office had been evading tax for the past five years.

“For the entire years, you were not issuing out payslips, there were no NSSA contributions, Zimra deductions, medical aid and funeral policy yet you call yourself a labour movement,” he said.

“The majority of you guys are double dipping as you are getting money from both Government and IDAZIM and you pretend to be fighting corruption while you are the epicentre of corruption.”

Munakira said senior officials in the PM’s press and research department misrepresented to the donors that they were paying employees amounts in excess of US$1 700 yet they paid salaries around US$300.

“They pocket the difference of the between 18 and 21 employees. Money meant for salaries is now being used for campaigns as some of you want to become Members of Parliament,” he said.

Asked for comment, Mr Mafume was evasive.

“I think the person who knows about his (Munakira) salary is Thabani Mpofu and probably he does not know that he was arrested,” he said.
“We will get the actual information concerning the issue when the guys come out of prison.”

Mr Sachikonye said he had never met Munakira.

” I have heard the name but I have never dealt with him,” he said.
Mr Makone said: “I believe you have spoken to two of my colleagues and they have given you an answer on that.”

This is not the first time former employees at the office located at number 14 Bath Road in Avondale, Harare have complained of unfair labour practices and rampant corruption.

Last year some employees alleged that they were being underpaid despite the PM’s office receiving large sums of money for salaries from donors.
They also claimed that Idazim was the conduit of donor funds to the PM’s office.

Idazim, registered in South Africa, works closely with the United States Agency for International Development in Zimbabwe, Royal Netherlands embassy in Zimbabwe, German International Services Zim­babwe Office, Research Triangle Inter­national and the United Nations Devel­opment Programme Zimbabwe.
The NGO works with what it terms “a network of pro-democracy institu­tions and actors”.