“Its a transitional stage, we were told by our MPs in March, April and May.
“Be Patient!” they urged, in June and July. “The collapse is widespread, the corruption rampant and change is going to take time.” At a local level services remain largely non existent – garbage is still not collected, street lights don’t work, roads are full of potholes and water supplies are scarce.
At a business level conditions continue to be extremely precarious.
For the last three months the NEC (National Employment Council) have been announcing new wage levels for employees in the business sector.
They are demanding increases for workers of 40% in some sectors, 50% in others and are saying that new wage rates are to be backdated by 2,3 and even 4 months. Employers are saying that if the wage levels are enforced they’ll have no option but to make half their staff redundant and reduce business by 50%. Employees say they understand on the one hand but threaten to strike on the other. It’s a time bomb.
At a professional level government doctors have finally reached tipping point and gone on strike. After a minimum of five years university and hospital training and working very long hours with negligible equipment and facilities, they’ve said enough is enough.
They say they will not continue working for US$170 US dollars (106) a month. Government teachers are very close to withdrawing their services too. Three or more years of tertiary education, teacher training, classroom experience and every afternoon of every school day spent supervising or travelling to one sporting event or another, teachers are very disgruntled. In return for their labour they are currently earning only 140 US dollars (87 British pounds) a month.
To put all this into perspective are two pictures:
First is the driver of the truck which killed the Prime Minister’s wife, Susan Tsvangirai. The truck driver was reportedly earning US$ 480 (300) a month at the time of the accident (for which he was fined US$200). A truck driver earning almost double the salary of a doctor?
Second – the new NEC rates for security workers. A man standing at the gate of a complex lifting a boom across the road for vehicles to enter is now earning US$140 a month, before transport, lighting and housing allowances. A gate guard earning more than a teacher? Zimbabwe’s priorities are confused and patience grows ever thinner.
Until next week, thanks for reading, Ndini shamwari yenyu.