Emmerson Mnangagwa to pay civil servants 15% more — but doesn’t have the money
Harare — Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has pledged to spend money his government doesn’t have on increasing its 350,000 workers’ salaries as the country gears up for next month’s elections. Civil servants, who account for most formal jobs in the country, will get 15% raises, while veterans of Zimbabwe’s war against white-minority rule will be awarded improved benefits, Mnangagwa said last month. His willingness to spend taxpayer money to bolster his support undermines his pledge to ensure a free and fair vote and bring an end to an era of contested results under former president Robert Mugabe. The spending spree will also hamper efforts to rebuild an economy shattered by a failed land reform programme, hyper-inflation and mass emigration. Mnangagwa has led the country since November when the ruling party forced Mugabe to quit, is facing a challenge from Nelson Chamisa, leader of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), in the July 30 presidential race. "Wi...
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