HARARE - Striking Air Zimbabwe pilots last week ignored a 24 hour ultimatum from the airliner, leading to the indefinite suspension of regional and international flights. The 44 pilots went on strike last week after the air line failed to pay them their salaries. Flights to Lusaka, Lubumbashi and all international flights remain suspended until further notice. Meanwhile management is continuing to negotiate with the pilots in order to quickly restore normal services. Once again we sincerely apologise for the unforeseen disruption and request your patience whilst we make every effort to resolve the impasse, said Air Zimbabwe group chief executive officer, Peter Chikumba, in a statement on Sunday.
Board chairman Kadzura told journalists in Harare last week that the airline did not have enough money to pay the pilots their full salaries of US$2,500 per month. – Tavada Mafa
Diamond debate not over – Biti
HARARE The current auctioning of diamonds is a provisional move and Zimbabwe should not depend on sales for the recovery of its economy, Finance Minister Tendai Biti has said.
The actual position on whether we should sell our diamonds is going to be determined in November where a final meeting is going to be held by the world diamond certification scheme in Tel Aviv. What we are having at the moment is just a provisional sale of diamonds, he told journalists in Harare.
Civil servants are demanding that they should have salary increments from revenue raised from the diamonds.
Kimberley Process (KP) monitor, Abbey Chikane, arrived last week Thursday to authorise the second export of diamonds from the country’s controversial Marange mines.
The planned diamond auction will be the second since July when the KP lifted a ban it had imposed on exports of the Marange stones following reports of gross human rights abuses and other illegal activities allegedly committed by soldiers guarding the mines. Tavanda Mafa
UNICEF outreach
HARARE – The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICF) and various civic organizations have organized a special two day national outreach programme for children to enable them to participate in the COPAC organized outreach programme.
UNICEF chief communications officer, Micaela de Sousa, said her organization, together with government and civic society organizations, was designing a process whereby children from existing formal structures (such as the Junior Parliament) and children from outside formal participation structures (particularly vulnerable children) would come together to discuss and document their ideas for COPAC.
She said the event was going to be held from September 23-24 in Harare.
Post published in: Economy