In comparison the paper said Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his deputies have so far spent just US$3, 7 million, or almost three quarters of their US$5 million travel budget for the year.
Using statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the paper calculated that travel expenses for government officials were “enough to finance anti-retroviral treatment for almost 600 000 people for six straight months in a public health system.”
The 87 year old Mugabe has reportedly travelled to the Far East at least five times this year, allegedly seeking medical treatment. He also attended the beatification of Pope John Paul II ceremony in Rome in May and was reportedly the only head of state at a youth conference in New York this week.
“It is embarrassing because he has no business at a youth conference,” said political commentator Professor John Makumbe, adding that Mugabe is always itching to go to the West to “facilitate shopping” for his wife Grace and replenish their supplies of luxurious goods.
Makumbe told SW Radio Africa that Mugabe’s trips are “irresponsible” given the dire economic straits that the country is in.
“Civil servants are being paid slave wages and cannot make ends meet. Programmes are in limbo because government claims there is no money. So it is irresponsible,” Makumbe explained.
Most of Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s travel allocation was reportedly spent on a recent regional tour to lobby regional SADC leaders on the Zimbabwe crisis. The MDC-T leader has been known to travel with a small delegation, as opposed to Mugabe’s well documented 70-men entourage.
In his Medium Term Budget report on Wednesday Finance Minister Tendai Biti told parliament he feared the travel budget for government officials would drain the national treasury of much needed development funds. He also said the country is facing a debt of about US$9 billion which needs to be serviced.
Unfortunately ZANU PF has continued with policies that discourage investment in Zimbabwe and the economy is not likely to improve as long as the political crisis is not resolved.
Post published in: News