Chamisa promises decent wages for military if he wins in 2023

Opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa has promised that his government, if voted into power in 2023, will ensure that soldiers get “decent wages” for serving the country.

Chamisa said this in a statement while commemorating the Defence Forces Day on Tuesday.

With the nation set to hold its harmonised election in 2023, the main opposition leader said one of his priorities if CCC wins the polls was to make sure the soldiers get better wages.

“We are aware of your challenges, circumstances and predicament in resources, livelihoods and welfare.

Nonetheless, as the citizens coalesce for change throughout the country, we commit to you that we will respect you and honour you for volunteering to serve us,” he said.

“We honour and respect you by shaming and condemning those who seek to undermine the great you have been for our great country. We will honour and respect you by advocating and providing decent wages and living conditions commensurate with the pivotal and vital role you play

“Above all, we advocate that you have a fair share of our resources, decent housing and title deeds. We’ll honour and respect you by condemning the unnecessary, unwarranted and unmerited purging or discrimination on tribal and patronage basis at the expense of merit and service.

“Most importantly, at an individual level you are part and parcel of the citizens. You are eminent citizens. As we coalesce for this historic change, we do so with you as citizens and together with your grandparents, parents, children and all relatives scattered around the country.”

He further stated that his government would also respect tenets of democracy by upholding human rights.

“We do so above all with you as the protectors and guarantors of citizens’ Freedoms. Right to free speech and association. No one should ever be imprisoned or persecuted for politics. I call for the cessation of hostilities and immediate release of all victims of political persecution

“The Citizens Gvt will not go back on the values for which our veterans sacrificed. Values of Right to Self Determination, Right to Vote, Rights to our mineral wealth, rights to land – With Title Deeds. We stand shoulder to shoulder in serving this great nation,” Chamisa said.

The issue of civil servants welfare has been a problem in Zimbabwe for the past three years since they started getting salaries in the local currency. The Zim dollar continues to fall everyday against the US$.

Public sector workers, especially teachers and nurses have been threatening to strike over poor wages.

Addressing the nation on occasion of the Defence Forces Day yesterday, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said his government was working on improving salaries, transport and accommodation for the defence forces.

“Government is alive to the need to constantly review the remuneration and conditions of service for the uniformed forces, alongside those of the rest of the civil service,” the Zanu-PF leader said.

“In an effort to improve the welfare of ZDF (Zimbabwe Defence Forces) members, the Government has reinstated the Military Salary Concept, and is also working on improving the transport and accommodation situation for the defence forces. To date, buses have been provided to the ZDF and more will be disbursed in the future.

“With regards to the provision of institutional accommodation, the ZDF is in the process of constructing housing units for members across the country. During the period under review, the ZDF Construction Regiment completed 60 housing units at Dzivarasekwa, with an additional 90 at various stages of completion. At Imbizo Barracks 30 out of the 44 blocks of units are under construction and expected to be complete by year end,” Mnangagwa said.