Mnangagwa's Monthly Salary Enough To Pay 45 Junior Doctors' Basic Monthly Salaries: Report Claims

President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his two VPs, Constantino Chiwendga and Kembo Mohadi reportedly earn a monthly salary of an average $17,500 each. This is according to the ‘Blue Book’, the Government document which details its expenditure and debts, a total of $630,000 is allocated in the coming year for salaries and allowances to Mnangagwa and his two deputies, Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi.

It has further been revealed that the salary bill in the Office of the President (OPC) is going up from $8.77 million a year to $10.12 million, a result of new departments being added to the OPC. In total, the government wage bill is rising from $2.3 billion in 2018 to $2.9 billion, despite pledges by Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube to contain the bill under his controversial austerity measures. Pensions ($594 million) and employment costs for grant-aided institutions such as universities ($591 million) will add an extra $1.2 billion to the wage bill.

In spite of these revelations, it is not very clear exactly how much the President earns. Mnangagwa’s real salary is a riddle wrapped in an enigma, as is the case in many African states. But based on the average for the presidency, Mnangagwa would be one of the best-paid presidents, not only in Africa but globally. Angela Merkel, chancellor of Europe’s largest economy, reportedly earns the equivalent of just over $22,000.