Former deputy minister says no civil servant should be paid more than $5 000 a month

Mutoko South Member of Parliament and former Deputy Minister of Finance David Chapfika says the government should set a ceiling on salaries for civil servants and no one should earn more than $5 000 a month.

This, he said, would force the private sector to adjust its salaries.

“The price of goods and commodities will also follow suit because in the end, no one will be able to afford them,” Chapfika said in his contribution to the debate on the Premier Service Medical Aid Society scandal.

“We should put a maximum ceiling of the salary that should be earned by the people in the civil service because this is money being contributed by people. When we look at our economic base, no one in the civil service should get more than $5 000 per month. If we do that, the private sector would follow suit and adjust their salaries,” he said.

“I have realised that countries like China got a lot of money because of the low wage bill. All the companies in this country wanted to invest in China because the wages set were quite low and China developed. What we want in Zimbabwe is an investment for us to develop but we are just well known for corruption which does not attract investment.”

Chapfika also called for tougher action on thieves and corrupt people.

“Mr. Speaker Sir, there is no country that will develop if corruption is still rampant. All countries which have developed, their foundation is laid upon discipline. For example, in countries such as Rwanda and China, whoever gets involved in corrupt activities is thrown in prison and people are accountable for their actions.

“In Ghana, where I once stayed for some time, if one was to steal, they will be arrested. Every Friday, people will be taken to the beach where there would be a firing squad. It did not matter what one would have stolen, even a pen, salt or anything, all the thieves will be shot at and buried in a mass grave and they were not given descent burials because they were criminals.”

Full contribution:

*HON. CHAPFIKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I stand up in support of the motion raised by Hon. Cross. As I stand, I want to say that it is time for Parliament to be popular and known for its existence. In other countries, the Members of Parliament are very powerful because what they would have agreed on is what is done.

Mr. Speaker Sir, there is no country that will develop if corruption is still rampant. All countries which have developed, their foundation is laid upon discipline. For example, in countries such as Rwanda and China, whoever gets involved in corrupt activities is thrown in prison and people are accountable for their actions. In Ghana, where I once stayed for some time, if one was to steal, they will be arrested.

Every Friday, people will be taken to the beach where there would be a firing squad. It did not matter what one would have stolen, even a pen, salt or anything, all the thieves will be shot at and buried in a mass grave and they were not given descent burials because they were criminals. I am asking for your attention. Where we are as a nation, we need to take other strategies as the people of Zimbabwe in terms of the way we live and the way we operate our businesses. If you were to look at the banks and everywhere else, all our children no longer have integrity. What they are doing is that they are engaging in deals. They no longer have work ethics that develop the country. Everyone is engaged in shoddy deals so that they can earn a living. The elderly cannot do anything.

Mr. Speaker, I just thought today I would also add my voice to the motion that was raised because there are people who are suffering in this country. The wage bill in Zimbabwe is now at 90% of Government’s recurrent expenditure and it is all paying the Civil Service. Our budget is very small and you cannot compare it to other countries. Probably, it can be compared to that of Henry Ford Company. What legacy are we going to leave for our children? Are we going to leave them a legacy of corruption or a legacy of lack of integrity? The Government put good measures and good legislation that children should go to school and be educated but now this education is being used in engaging in deals because our children realise that as adults, we have failed and we are letting things go that way. Now, we are saying other people are being fired; we should be looking at a situation whether these people are working or not. If a person is at work and is working to ensure that the economy develops, we should protect them.

On the issue that is before us and I want to look at (d) part of the motion which says that review present remuneration policies of the society and bring them in line with current Government policy. That is not being done. I want us to look at that issue and ensure that the Civil Service until our economy has improved; we should put a maximum ceiling of the salary that should be earned by the people in the Civil Service because this is money being contributed by people. When we look at our economic base, no one in the Civil Service should get more than $5 000 per month. If we do that, the private sector would follow suit and adjust their salaries. The price of goods and commodities will also follow suit because in the end, no one will be able to afford them.

I have realised that countries like China got a lot of money because of the low wage bill. All the companies in this country wanted to invest in China because the wages set were quite low and China developed. What we want in Zimbabwe is an investment for us to develop but we are just well known for corruption which does not attract investment.

In further interrogating this issue, the Commission on Insurance and Pensions Funds was set up to investigate the conversion of people’s pensions and insurances because people were left poorer. People who had invested into insurances were left with nothing when Dr. Gono removed the zeros. I cannot remember how many zeros were removed. I can say more than twenty zeros were removed. Our money was now reaching up to sextillions and trillions.

The zeros that were removed were removed without consideration of when that money was put in the bank. The same formula of removing zeros was applied to the money that was banked in Z$ in 1980 when the Z$ was stronger than the British pound, to monies that were banked recently. That was robbery. There are so many people who died poor in this country. Now, the auctions have become so many because they are taking people’s property and selling it yet we are seated here in Parliament doing nothing about it.

What I am saying is that this Commission, if they do not want to extend or investigate why those zeros were removed, then there is an issue. We want to find out how those zeros were removed. Did it actually empower people or disempowered them? What happened at the Reserve Bank affected many people in a negative way. People are traumatised as what Dr. Mangudya said. Many Zimbabweans are suffering because of people who have engaged in corrupt activities and stole the wealth of people yet they are still roaming the streets scot free.

This should be interrogated to see if people were not prejudiced through this system and check what exactly was taking place during the farm mechanization period and to see whether it is true that the real price was $45 000. If it was $45 000, then it is fine. What we want is that we have come to a point where the truth has to be told and to call a spade a spade. As ZANU PF, we are the ruling party and we need to ensure that we bring each other to book. No one should be above the law. People should know that if they engaged in criminal activities, they will bear the brunt of corruption. We need to include a recommendation, that we need to institute legislation to the effect that there must be a penalty for offences related to corruption. I know they are there. They are not being implemented but we need that included in your recommendations so that they become part and parcel of the final resolution of this motion.

I support this motion because it is an issue that affects Zimbabwe. It affects both MDC and ZANU PF and we should all unite.

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