Chinamasa budgets for salary increase for Mugabe and his deputies

According to the revised edition of the 2017 National Budget estimates of expenditure, Treasury has budgeted for an increase in salaries and allowances for President Robert Mugabe and his two deputies; Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko who are likely to gross a combined US$672 000 this year, up from US$624 000 last year. According to The Financial Gazette this will be a 7,69 percent increase.

The publication reports that for the past three weeks, Minister of Finance, Patrick Chinamasa has not been responding to text messages or returning calls so that he can shed light on the issue. Also Willard Manungo, the permanent secretary in the ministry, has also been evasive, referring the Financial Gazette’s reporter to his subordinate in the ministry, who could not give responses to questions sent to him by the time of going to print.

How can the President of Zimbabwe earn more than the Prime Minister of Britain? It’s ridiculous. The British Prime Minister presides over an economy worth US$3 trillion; our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a paltry US$10 billion. This economy cannot sustain those obscene salaries. I used to pay him US$4 000.