In part IV of this series on the achievements or otherwise of the Government of National Unity (GNU) in its first year, FRAZER MUZONDO analyses the ministries of foreign affairs and public service, and finds that both need serious transformation. Corruption is still rife in the public service, while foreign affairs has failed utterly to change its Zanu (PF) identity.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The ministry is under the leadership of Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Zanu (PF). It is responsible for promoting the political and economic interests, the image and influence of the Republic of Zimbabwe in the international community. Another of its primary functions is to coordinate the search for new trade, investment and tourism opportunities and promote co-operation in science and technology with other countries and multilateral institutions.
With the formation of the inclusive government, the government was supposed to revamp and reconstitute its diplomatic and consular missions abroad in order to reflect the inclusivity in the new government and reflect the new political dispensation. But Mugabe still thinks Zanu (PF) is still the ruling party and wants the face of Zanu (PF) to be represented everywhere.
He flatly refused to co-opt new political players into our foreign missions. This would have helped to improve to improve our relations with the international community, in particular to persuade them to re-engage with our diplomatic and consular missions abroad.
Mugabe managed to convince the Prime Minister and his deputy that ambassadors are civil servants and hence apolitical, despite the fact that they are political appointees. Mugabe convinced them to wait for vacant positions, just as he convinced his Zanu (PF) colleagues that they should wait until he dies for them to have a chance to challenge his position of president.
There were five vacant ambassadors posts, and the MDC was asked to appoint representatives. But it took more than six months before they could take their oaths before Mugabe and their subsequent postings. Mugabe said they could not be posted because the government was broke, but he was doing his usual tactic of buying time and frustrating the MDC.
And how can we have a foreign minister who cannot visit certain countries because he is on the list of targeted travel sanctions? How is he going to represent us at some important international meetings and meet his counterparts from other countries? Why not replace him with another figure who does not represent the face of Zanu (PF)?
Mugabe and his minister should be made aware that in order to reflect the inclusiveness in the `unity government`, they should appoint new faces that reflect the new political dispensation into our diplomatic and consular missions in order for investors, traders, tourists to have confidence in this `unity government`.
No one is willing to associate themselves with people known for corruption, violence, election rigging and dishonesty, which is what Zanu (PF) is best known for. Mugabe and Mumbengegwi should have seized this opportunity to improve the image of Zimbabwe internationally but instead they are more concerned with holding on to power and keeping Zanu (PF) in control.
Ministry of Public Service
This ministry is led by Professor E. Mukonoweshuro, MDC. It is responsible for the efficient, effective and accountable operation of the Public Service of Zimbabwe. Since the formation of the Government of National Unity, most public offices have now re-opened. Most of these offices had closed because there were no staff as most civil servants had given up on coming to work because of non-payment of salaries or because the salaries were inadequate. With the formation of the GNU, the Prime Minister promised all public servants that they would now be paid their `salaries` in foreign currency. This call to return to work received an overwhelming response and civil servants streamed back to work. Some who had gone to South Africa even heard the call and came home.
Those who had left the civil service for longer periods were promised automatic re-entry into their jobs, but this didnt happen because of the retrogressive senior civil servants who were refusing to implement the instructions from their new masters. The civil servants waited patiently for their first `salary` in hard currency and when this did come, Gono tried to meddle in it and wanted the civil servants to continue being paid by the voucher system. But the new minister of finance refused because Gono and his associates had devised a way to abuse this.
Instead of receiving salaries, the civil servants were all being paid an allowance of US$100 each. This allowance was later upgraded to a `salary` of at least US$140. Civil servants remained patient and continued coming to work as they were giving the inclusive government time to put its finances in order. But the `salaries` didnt increase to keep pace with the rate of inflation and the civil service labour unions started to engage the government to negotiate better salaries. But the government insisted it had no money, so now most of the civil servants are back on strike.
Some are being threatened with death or disappearance if they dont join the strike. It has now been politicised – some people behind the strike have got a sinister agenda. Some civil servants are demanding to be paid in diamonds coming from Chiadzwa diamond fields. Oh yes, they are only human as they know that there is a lot of money coming from those diamonds, but its being pocketed by a few people and not benefiting the country. How can they accept that the government has got no money when a certain privileged individual like Mugabe can afford to take an entourage of around 60people every time he goes on one of his foreign tours? Other civil servants, like Happyton Bonyongwe and his associates, claim allowances of up to US$5000 per day for special security for Mugabe when he is abroad, so how can the public service say it does not have money?
Where is this kind of money coming from? How can civil servants be encouraged to go to work when some ministries like Kasukuwere`s is employing up to 10 000 youths for non-existent posts, Augustine Chihuri`s police force is refusing audit and other more ministries have numerous ghost workers on their payrolls? More still needs to be done to improve the public service. Corruption is still rife in most public offices. We are looking forward to more transparency in the civil service, to a day when we can be served with dignity and get service without having to pay someone under the counter for it.
Post published in: Opinions