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NewsDay

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Without reforms Mugabe awaits an inglorious exit

Opinion & Analysis
This is the reality that this government has to contend with, it is no longer business as usual and a time has come for serious austerity measures.

The Christmas holidays are off to a farcical start for most civil servants after the government released pay dates for its workers, with some getting their salaries as late as early next year.

NEWSDAY COMMENT

Traditionally, December salaries are paid slightly earlier compared to other months to allow workers to go on holidays with their pay, but for the first time, teachers will spend Christmas without their salaries, while others will only get paid next year.

No matter how the government tries to sugarcoat this, this is a monumental embarrassment and there is no way they can save face.

The major problem in this country is that the government seems inured to common sense and economic reason and this is something that they should have foreseen and, therefore, avoided.

For starters, the civil service is far too bloated and the reasonable thing would have been to reform it ages ago, or at least when Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa mooted the idea.

This would have meant a leaner and efficient civil service that would not be a strain on revenues.

President Robert Mugabe also has to be realistic and allow for the cutting of allowances for his top bureaucrats, as the money they are receiving is just not sustainable.

And the most obvious of them all: Do away with bonuses. It just does not make sense that the government wants to pay bonuses when it is evidently struggling with salaries.

Yes, Mugabe wants the political capital of paying bonuses, but with it comes economic suicide and ultimately political doom.

If Mugabe can recall, just eight years ago, his hold on power was threatened because of the economic meltdown and if he continues throwing out economic sense, then he can as well wait for an inglorious exit in less than two years’ time.

Shallow propagandists will argue that the failure by government to pay salaries on time is nothing out of the ordinary, as the private sector has been failing for a while.

While this is true, the reality is most private sector workers have taken pay cuts, have foregone bonuses, while companies have retrenched and many others have closed down.

The measures that the private sector has taken to remain in business mean that the taxes they used to contribute have reduced significantly and the tax base has shrunk, meaning government’s revenue can no longer sustain the civil service.

This is the reality that this government has to contend with, it is no longer business as usual and a time has come for serious austerity measures.

If the government wants to obstinately plough on as if nothing has changed, then they shall be in for a very rude surprise at the next elections.