Fury as Bob holidays while wages unpaid

Partying while his people suffer … President Robert Mugabe

Mugabe, close family members and aides left the country on Wednesday for a ritual month long annual vacation in the Far East.

Behind him, he left a restless civil service that treasury has failed to pay its December salaries, let alone bonuses.

The increasingly paranoid leader’s government only paid salaries to the army leaving the rest to spend the Christmas holiday with no penny to their name.

His indifferent attitude has earned him strong rebuke from opponents and civil servants who feel the 91-year-old leader was too preoccupied with his own comforts and power to care about ordinary Zimbabweans.

PDP secretary general Gorden Moyo said he and his party were not surprised with Mugabe’s “selfish behaviour” and further urged his removal from the helm of the country.

“He has never been worried about the livelihoods and welfare of the people of Zimbabwe,” Moyo told NewZimbabwe.com.

“He has always been worried about his personal security, personal enjoyment and that of his party. It is upon the people of Zimbabwe, including the civil servants to wake up from this slumber that Mugabe would one day care for us.”

Moyo added: “All we need is to all get united and get rid of Mugabe and his lieutenants in Zimbabwe. He has always left the people behind, starving and dying for his entire 35 years.”

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe President Takavafira Zhou also felt Mugabe’s excursion was a betrayal to starving civil servants who have dutifully collected the same taxes that Mugabe flew out to enjoy.

“That is the greatest betrayal of a country by its president,” Zhou said.

“It shows the highest level of being inconsiderate. At a time when we needed him most, he is not in Zimbabwe, he is enjoying life with his family.

“We expected that before he could go on leave, he would try to resolve outstanding issues like salaries and bonuses so that civil servants can also enjoy the festive season with their families.

“The president has shown that he is individualistic. He is concentrating on his personal and family affairs to an extent that he can go on leave without solving these urgent national issues.”

MDC-T secretary general Douglas Mwonzora said flying out to enjoy tax payer’s money “summarises the irresponsibility which has become the hall mark of this government”.

“Given the economic meltdown and the flight of capital, a responsible government would not have taken a sabbatical and expect things to resolve themselves,” he said.