What Zimbabwe Public Service Minister said about bonuses for civil servants this year

Q &A

HON. SEN. CHIEF NGUNGUBANE: Thank you Madam President. I would want to direct my question to Dr. Nzenza, the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. Can you please clarify the position with regards the bonuses for civil servants? Thank you.

THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. DR. NZENZA): Thank you very much for that question. At this stage, we are reviewing our pension funds as well as reviewing the Wage Bill which also includes the bonuses. Given the current economic turmoil, we would also take that into consideration and if you can bear with me for a while, we will be able to get back to you with the correct information. Thank you.

HON. SEN. ENG. MUDZURI: Hon. Minister, in your considerations for the salaries of civil servants, are you likely to consider that civil servants salaries have been designated to dollars and they should continue to earn dollars rather than change their accounts to bond or RTGs as what has been confused in the media?

THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Hon. Senator, I am just allowing you for that question to be answered because it affects nearly everybody but the civil servants bonuses have been talked about.

HON. DR. NZENZA: Thank you Madam President. Again, I am not able to answer your question at this stage. That question can only be answered in consultation with the Minister of Finance and Economic Development and all the other Ministers involved. Thank you.

HON. SEN. ENG. MUDZURI: Madam President, because of what has happened the in current situation and the exchange rate that has been prevailing, we are expecting to see the Minister of Finance and Economic Development because we have not seen him yet, but we were hoping to see the Leader of Government Business. Unless there is a Leader of Government Business today, we could ask questions because Government must be know where the ship is going. So, is there someone who is representing the Leader of Government business to ensure that they answer our questions in terms of what is happening to our money and everyone is worried in the streets and I thought we have given two weeks to expect the Minister of Finance and Economic Development but he has not been around.

THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: I think that one is a comment Hon. Sen. Eng. Mudzuri.

HON. SEN. ENG. MUDZURI: No, we are asking for the Leader of Government Business if he is here because Government business cannot move when the Minister is not there. For the two weeks, the one who has been leading Government business is the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement. Hon. Sen. Rtd. Air Marshall Shiri has not been coming. So, we expect someone to take-over when he is not there so that he can answer our questions.

THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Thank you very much Hon. Sen. Mudzuri. I do not think we work it that way, to keep on changing leaders of Government business every time. If he is absent, we wait and we question those who are here. The leader of the House is there but today he is not in the House because of some other commitments. I think I heard the Hon. Minister answering that we are at the moment trying to negotiate then we come up with something so that we bring it in this House so that everyone will hear.

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