Civil servants reassured of bonuses

While President Mugabe and his entire family are away on a luxurious holiday in the Far East his broke Government yesterday said it will pay bonuses to all civil servants who have not yet received their 13th cheque from the week beginning January 5.

In a statement yesterday, Public Service Commission Acting Secretary Mr Charles Matorera said the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development was facing cash flow challenges.

“The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development has advised the Public Service Commission that due to the acute cash flow constraints, Government will only be able to pay bonuses to all public servants who have not yet received theirs from the week beginning January 5, 2015,” he said. “The payment will be staggered and the commission will advise accordingly.”

Last week, Public Service Minister Prisca Mupfumira said Government was making efforts to pay all civil servants their bonuses.

Civil Servants, mainly in the security sector, got their bonuses in November.

Unflattering pictures of President Robert Mugabe and his family enjoying themselves to no end while holidaying in the Far East emerged at the weekend.

The pictures of the First Family luxuriating overseas were posted on Instagram at a time back home millions of people are enduring one of the country’s worst festive seasons ever — with no water, food and electricity.

Observers say Mugabe has lost touch with the hardships that Zimbabweans are enduring daily while he blows millions of scarce dollars on his foreign jaunts.

In the pictures, posted by Mugabe’s first son Robert Jnr on Instagram — a video and picture-sharing social platform — most of the family, except Mugabe, happily poses for the photos.

Grace — and sons Robert Jnr, Chatunga and Russell (from the first marriage) — along with daughter Bona and husband Simba Chikore, pose for the pictures, smiling contentedly in what appears to be an upmarket restaurant.

Asked by his friends about the location of the restaurant, Robert Jnr replied “Nadaman in Singapore! Next time you think of going to the Far East you should try it out.”

Nadaman is an expensive Japanese restaurant for the most affluent in Singapore. It reportedly only serves the rich and famous.