PROSECUTORS drawn from their stations in Midlands are reportedly starving at a workshop, which is currently underway in Gweru after government allegedly failed to provide them with adequate meals.
BY BLESSED MHLANGA
The close to 17 officers, who are attending the workshop on “Appeals and reviews” running from May 7 to 11, said they had been forced into starvation after the government failed to provide them with dinner or allowances.
“We are being given tea and lunch. There is no dinner and we have also been told that we have to cover our own transport costs, yet we have been invited here on government business and it’s not as if we had a choice,” a participant, who requested not to be named, said.
Another participant said it was sad that while government officials and other ministers were feted with allowances when they travelled, they were being forced to subsidise the government.
“Recently, we read in the press that Finance deputy minister Terrence Mukupe beat up an official over poor allowances. We are being asked to fund transport costs outside our stations. We earn less than $500, which can’t even sustain us for a month and some of us had to borrow bus fare to come here,” he said.
The lawyers were reportedly going to bed on empty stomachs, while others were seen looting afternoon tea biscuits to their rooms.
A memo seen by NewsDay sent out to all stations in the province, by the provincial prosecutor demanded that the prosecutors attend and would only be fed to lunch.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“This office has organised a one-week workshop for all prosecutors in the province . . . prosecutors from outside Gweru will be booked at The Village . . . there will be lunch for everyone at the venue. All participants are required to attend,” the memo read.
Prosecutor-General Ray Goba said it was an internal issue, accusing the prosecutors of being mischievous by reporting the matter to the Press. “If I don’t feed my child, do they run to the Press and report the matter? They know the channel of reporting their grievances and I suspect that there is a mischief on the part of the prosecutors and I will not respond to that mischief,” he said.
