Zimbabwe’s jobless population has castigated government red tape for delaying the release of the $40 million earmarked for Bulawayo’s re-industrialisation, adding the matter has worsened their plight.
Zimbabwe Unemployed People’s Association (Zupa) president Innocent Ndibali told NewsDay yesterday the quick disbursement of the funds meant creation of additional jobs in the city.
“The $40 million was supposed to be injected into Bulawayo’s disappearing industry to reverse the de-industrialisation that has seen 20 000 or so people lose their jobs in recent times. Zupa was especially excited given that our mandate is to ensure millions of Zimbabweans get jobs,” he said. Ndibali said they were increasingly concerned it was now 2012, but the promised $40 million “is still but just a promise”.
“In the meantime, more people in Bulawayo have lost their jobs, more companies have closed shop and more people have been plunged into poverty due to the delay in delivering what is already there,” he said.
He said it was disturbing to note some health facilities were detaining new mothers after giving birth for failing to raise maternity fees.
“Last week, Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo was reportedly detaining some new mothers against their will until they paid maternity fees. If this is true, then one wonders why the promised $100 million raised by the Deputy Prime Minister (Thokozani Khupe)’s Office for that very purpose is not unlocked to assist these unemployed mothers.
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“If the money is there, in some account somewhere, a delay in transparent utilisation may invoke access through the underground,” added Ndibali.
The maternity bills range between $100 and $200 depending on the method of delivery and period spent at the hospital.
The $100 million was raised in October 2011 following Zimbabwe’s successful launch of the Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa by Khupe who is the campaign’s goodwill ambassador.
She has been advocating for the scrapping of maternity fees to curb incidents of maternal mortality related to shortage of money.