Zimbabwe MP asks why government pays soldiers, and not teachers, first

A Member of Parliament has asked why the government pays soldiers first and not teachers and nurses?

The response was simply that this was historical.

Musikavanhu legislator, Prosper Mutseyami asked what criteria the government used to pay soldiers first, followed by the Central Intelligence Organisation and lastly teachers.

“You use the armed forces whenever you have challenges in paying.  When you have difficulties with cash flows, why do you not start with the teachers and the nurses and lastly you pay the army and the police?” he asked.

Deputy Public Service Minister Tapiwa Matangaidze responded that civil servants were never paid on the same day.

“Traditionally the army or the uniformed forces would be paid around the 15th and so on.  The staggering of salaries has been the culture.  The suggestion that is being given by Hon. Mutseyami is that maybe in future we should start with the teachers and other sectors instead of the uniformed forces.  It is a suggestion that is being brought to us as the Executive to see if it can be looked and see if that would be acceptable.  We will take it up to the Apex Council,” he said.

The Apex Council represents civil servants.

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