adminMidlands Correspondent
PRESIDENT Mugabe recently intervened to have Zisco Steel (NewZim Steel) workers paid all their outstanding salaries after dispatching a Zanu-PF team led by Defence Minister, Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa, to engage the company management over the workers’ predicament. The development came as a huge relief for the workers, barely a week after President Mugabe directed the Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development, Dr Ignatius Chombo, to order all councils to write off debts they were being owed by residents in unpaid rates and water bills.
Addressing thousands of Zanu-PF supporters at a star rally in Gweru yesterday, the First Lady, Amai Grace Mugabe said President Mugabe recently dispatched a Zanu-PF delegation to Zisco, which resulted in the workers getting paid all their outstanding salaries.
“All Zisco Steel workers should contribute $10 each to thank Amai (Grace Mugabe) and Baba (President Mugabe) for a job well-done which resulted in all of them receiving their outstanding salaries they have been owed by the company,” joked Amai Mugabe.
She said President Mugabe has been concerned by the challenges that the Zisco workers continued to face owing to non-payment of their salaries.
“President Mugabe recently sent a delegation led by Defence Minister, Cde Mnangagwa, to engage Zisco on workers’ salaries and all the employees have since received their outstanding salaries,” said Mai Mugabe amid ululation from the huge crowd that thronged an open space near Mkoba Teachers’ College for the star rally.
Amai Mugabe said President Mugabe’s intervention, which culminated in Zisco Steel workers receiving their outstanding salaries and the recent proclamation ordering all councils to write off debts they were being owed was a clear indication that Zanu-PF was a people oriented party.
She urged Zimbabweans to vote resoundingly for President Mugabe and Zanu-PF so that the party could complete its vision of reviving the country’s industries and improve working conditions for workers.
“In 2008 you were blinkered and told to vote for change but for the four years the MDC-T has been in Government, nothing has changed.
Instead residents in towns and cities saw their residential properties accruing more debts. President Mugabe has sent a clear message that Zanu-PF is a people centred party and ordered the councils to write off all the bills they were being owed by residents,” she said.
Amai Mugabe said President Mugabe was an upright man who does not renege on his word and the proclamation that councils should write off bills they were being owed by councils was not a political gimmick.
“This man here (President Mugabe) is a man of his word. He is a very principled man who does not believe in lies. The recent proclamation that councils should write off all the debts that were accrued by residents between February 2009 and June this year is not a political gimmick,” she said.
Mai Mugabe thanked the people of Midlands for voting resoundingly for Zanu-PF in 2008 and urged them to remain steadfast by voting for the revolutionary party in Wednesday’s crunch elections.
“We have been to all the provinces and the people there have assured us a resounding victory for the Zanu-PF team. We want Midlands province which has remained united to vote resoundingly for Zanu-PF,” she said.
Meanwhile, Amai Mugabe donated 50 tonnes of mealie-meal, 20 of sugar beans, four of salt and 1 120 cases of 750 cooking oil to the Midlands province. She said the donation should be shared among the needy mainly the elderly in the province.
Online Reporter