Come clean on diamonds – Tsvangirai
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is not pleased with the “war of words” among Finance minister Tendai Biti, President Robert Mugabe and Mines minister Obert Mpofu over the missing $300 million in revenue raised from diamond sales at Chiadzwa.
Tsvangirai challenged President Mugabe and other stakeholders to welcome an audit to ascertain the whereabouts of the diamond proceeds in the interest of justice.
The PM told ministers and heads of ministries at a workshop that Zimbabwe could not wait to find out about the whereabouts of diamond proceeds.
“I am therefore naturally disturbed by the ongoing saga regarding the whereabouts of the proceeds from the Chiadzwa diamonds,” he said.
“Anyone clean on this matter should welcome an audit that unpacks the mystery as the citizens cannot continue to wait while the leaders are bickering over the process issues.”
The trio has of late made contradictory submissions on the missing diamonds proceeds.
While in Ethiopia President Mugabe promised civil servants a salary increase because the diamond auction had raked in $250 million.
But Biti said he was not aware that Mpofu’s ministry had sent the money to treasury.
Mpofu, however, claimed he had received a letter from Biti acknowledging receipt of the money.
“Transparency in our extractive industries, especially in the extraction and auctioning of our diamonds, should help the country realise maximum value so that we attend to critical needs such as the funding of civil servants’ salaries,” said Tsvangirai.
Civil servants earn an average of $150 a month and efforts to engage government for a pay rise have failed.
“I am not ignorant of the difficulty of trying to deliver through a civil service that is not well oiled in terms of resources and remuneration. It is my sincere hope that all those who wish well for Zimbabwe will seek to maximise on our God-given resources to take care of ourselves,” Tsvangirai said.
Tsvangirai said the government work programme for the year should seek to improve ministerial performance in order to deliver quality service to the people.
Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, who also spoke at the same function, said: “There should be one message on what is indeginisation, what is land revolution. We want predictability in the country and let’s have message discipline.”
There has been discord in the inclusive government on the indigenisation policy with Zanu PF threatening a militant takeover of mainly British-owned firms operating in the country.
The PM told ministers and heads of ministries at a workshop that Zimbabwe could not wait to find out about the whereabouts of diamond proceeds.
“I am therefore naturally disturbed by the ongoing saga regarding the whereabouts of the proceeds from the Chiadzwa diamonds,” he said.
“Anyone clean on this matter should welcome an audit that unpacks the mystery as the citizens cannot continue to wait while the leaders are bickering over the process issues.”
The trio has of late made contradictory submissions on the missing diamonds proceeds.
While in Ethiopia President Mugabe promised civil servants a salary increase because the diamond auction had raked in $250 million.
But Biti said he was not aware that Mpofu’s ministry had sent the money to treasury.
Mpofu, however, claimed he had received a letter from Biti acknowledging receipt of the money.
“Transparency in our extractive industries, especially in the extraction and auctioning of our diamonds, should help the country realise maximum value so that we attend to critical needs such as the funding of civil servants’ salaries,” said Tsvangirai.
Civil servants earn an average of $150 a month and efforts to engage government for a pay rise have failed.
“I am not ignorant of the difficulty of trying to deliver through a civil service that is not well oiled in terms of resources and remuneration. It is my sincere hope that all those who wish well for Zimbabwe will seek to maximise on our God-given resources to take care of ourselves,” Tsvangirai said.
Tsvangirai said the government work programme for the year should seek to improve ministerial performance in order to deliver quality service to the people.
Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, who also spoke at the same function, said: “There should be one message on what is indeginisation, what is land revolution. We want predictability in the country and let’s have message discipline.”
There has been discord in the inclusive government on the indigenisation policy with Zanu PF threatening a militant takeover of mainly British-owned firms operating in the country.
