Zimbabwean civil servants reject bonus freeze..

The Zimbabwean government has decided to suspend bonuses for 2015 and next year. That is how bad the economic situation is! Universities have been told that the government will pay workers 50%  of their wages and the other half the university is supposed to look for it on their own. Companies have been retrenching and some closing due to lack of resources to pay workers. 

Civil servants however rejected the decision and demanded that they be paid their dues that are equivalent or more than the poverty Datum line which is pegged at $505. 

TRADE unions and opposition political parties have condemned the government’s decision to suspend civil service bonuses for the next two years, describing the move an insult to workers and the height of Zanu PF’s failure as a government to run the national economy. How can a country which claims to have 25% of the world’s diamonds fail to pay 300 000 poorly paid workers..?The pronouncement on the scrapping of civil servants’ bonuses is one such move which speaks volumes about this dismal failure.”

Finance minister said this was a way of creating fiscal space to stimulate full economy recovery.  The Zimbabwe National Students’ Union also condemned the harsh measures introduced by the Ministry of Finance to curtail the civil service wage bill which currently draws 80% of the national fiscus.
Both unions and opposition parties argued that the government could have cut its wage bill significantly by removing all 75 000 “ghost workers” from the payroll.

Finance and economic development minister, Patrick Chinamasa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XENOPHOBIA AT ITS HEIGHT IN SOUTH AFRICA

Fear has gripped most Africans who reside in South Africa as locals have been attacking them since Sunday. Relatives and friends also pity those they know that went to the country to seek greener pastures. It is the same greener pastures that have got them in trouble. Apart from the jobs South Africans claim that foreigners have taken them in their place, there has been an outcry that crimes committed and recorded are being perpetuated by outsiders therefore there is need to get rid of them.

The attacks were first recorded in Durban and so far 5 people have been confirmed dead. However, no Zimbabwean has been in the crossfire so far. Zulu king Goodwill Zwelithini's statement that "foreigners should leave" seems to have ignited the whole inhumane attacks that are underway. 

Locals who were reported to be carrying knobkerries warned  foreigners that their next exercise will in Johansburg. Zimbabweans who are watching the whole scenario unveil itself have decided to do something about it. April weekends which were supposed to be a hive of activity  with South African musicians bringing life to the city seem to be a pot brewing with flops. Zimbabweans have decided not to attend the shows and several messages have been sent to people inciting people not to support brothers from a country massacring our brothers and sisters. 

The following is a message that has gone viral on whatsapp:

''We cannot party and dance to these South African artists that are coming (Big Nuzz, Diliza, Nyovest) when South Africans are killing our brothers!!! WE ARE NOT GOING TO ATTEND THEIR SHOWS!!! ‪#‎StopXenophobia‬ ‪#‎SpeakOutAgainstXenophobia‬''

In the past when Africa did not have artificial boundaries such as there are today, wars and hatred were not as rife. Therefore it appears that dismantling the boundaries, drawn up by non-Africans, would minimise violence. But will that abolish xenophobia? No

The real solution will be to eliminate the present situation of a minority owning the means of production and distribution of wealth whilst the majority owning nothing, have to work for the few. In other words money, buying and selling, commodities and the like must be done away with. Humanity must commonly own the means of production and must have free and equal access to the produce. Under such circumstances there will be no want and consequently no war and hatred.

 Those killed include an Ethiopian, whose shop was petrol bombed last week, an African immigrant whose nationality was not immediately known and two South Africans, police spokesman Thulani Zwane said.

Statues from colonial era causing uproar in South Africa...

South Africa’s University of Cape Town said its council voted in favor of removing a statue of Cecil John Rhodes from its main campus Thursday following a month of student protests about the colonial-era figure. 

 Len Raymond, chairman of the Heritage Association of South Africa,   said  “We have concerns about the safety of the statue and believe that the only way to protect it while Heritage Western Cape is considering our application, will be to temporarily remove it for safekeeping. We will remove the statue tomorrow.”

Rhodes statue in UCT

President Zuma however said removal of the statues will have to be done according to the laws of South Africa as destroying the statues will be problematic if preservations of the history of the country is considered. If the statue is removed, future generations will not know who colonised the country and introduced apartheid therefore students making noise right now are not considering future historians. Rhodes was a British colonialist who seized land in Southern Africa to further what was the British Empire. UCT students threw human excrement on Rhodes’ statue in March as they started protesting. Since then, four other representations of colonial or apartheid figures have been defaced, some of them by members of the Economic Freedom Fighters opposition party. 

Jacob Zuma

Zuma said the debate about colonial statues and apartheid oppression is welcome but the smashing of the statues is not.



What needs to be done is discuss the location of these artifacts so they can be preserved for the future generation.

LESOTHO FUEL PRICES GO UP.

Fuel pump

The hike in South Africa fuel prices sparked a reaction in Lesotho as they followed suit. South Africa is said to have increased petrol by R1,62 per litre, diesel by R1,20, paraffin by 26c and liquified petroleum gas by 85c. The increase was triggered by the high  international prices for oil this week.  

However, prices for crude oil remain the same therefore electricity costs will not change which most people have cried foul that it will affect those working with tight budgets. Lesotho Petroleum fund financial accountant said that the final prices would be announced after the board has had a meeting.

MOTORISTS have been  enjoying six months of consecutive price cuts. This would be the first increase since last August. Fuel prices are a function of several factors including oil prices and the rand exchange rate.

With the oil price stable for now, all eyes will be on the rand to see if there will be another increase in prices in a month’s time. - See more at: http://lestimes.com/fuel-price-hike-looms-in-lesotho-3/#sthash.2M45cnmr.dpufc

South Africa is set to have a knock-on effect on Lesotho with the Petroleum Fund Lesotho mulling an increase in the price - See more at: http://lestimes.com/fuel-price-hike-looms-in-lesotho-3/#sthash.cvqgThUM.dpufS

South Africa is set to have a knock-on effect on Lesotho with the Petroleum Fund Lesotho mulling an increase in the price - See more at: http://lestimes.com/fuel-price-hike-looms-in-lesotho-3/#sthash.cvqgThUM.dpuf

South Africa is set to have a knock-on effect on Lesotho with the Petroleum Fund Lesotho mulling an increase in the price - See more at: http://lestimes.com/fuel-price-hike-looms-in-lesotho-3/#sthash.cvqgThUM.dpuf

South Africa is set to have a knock-on effect on Lesotho with the Petroleum Fund Lesotho mulling an increase in the price - See more at: http://lestimes.com/fuel-price-hike-looms-in-lesotho-3/#sthash.cvqgThUM.dpuf

Economic hardships threatening Zim media houses.

The Zimbabwean media sector is going through a lot of challenges forcing some media houses to close and newspapers folding. One paper under Alpha media stable (Southern eye)  stopped publishing end of March. The company closed due to lack of revenue to thrive in the media sector. 

The papers people buy in the streets or from the original stable are not enough to generate income for its workers and to continue to publish.

Companies that were the cash cows and paid lots of money when advertising have since vanished and have moved along the times by using billboards, text messages to subscribers or members, listservs on the internet or through their company websites. 

The daily was launched on 3 June 2013 and closed on 1 April 2015. The country's biggest newspaper stable (Zimpapers) is retrenching, while the Zimbabwe Mail closed down on March 18.

In its short-life span, Southern Eye had assumed a critical role in amplifying the voices of marginalised communities in Masvingo, Midlands and Matabeleland regions whose concerns and issues may escape coverage by the national mainstream media.

Minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting services, Jonathan Moyo shared the same sentiments with MISA that the operating sector has become difficult for media houses. For the newspaper industry to remain viable, the authorities should deregulate the media and open more opportunities for outside investors. That way media houses will generate more than they do now. 

Former journalist and now director of the Zimbabwe Democracy Institute Pedzisai Ruhanya said the closure of newspapers and the retrenching of workers was a reflection of the deepening crisis in the economy.

Zimbabwean law prohibits foreigners
from owning or investing in media services. ''Until the government sorts out the macro-economic fundamentals of the economy we are likely to see further newspapers closures in a similar manner companies are closing down,'' he added.

SA TEEN ATTEMPTS TO JOIN ISIS

ISIS, (sometimes known as ISIL and later renamed simply Islamic State) is a Jihadist militant group in Iraq and Syria influenced by the Wahhabi movement. A 15 year old South African girl was stopped as she was on her way to join jihadists.

ISIS BEHEADING PEOPLE

     

The Capetown based girl had been in the past active on social media talking about her mission with the members and was stopped just before she took a plane to Turkey where she would then proceed to Syria. 

An investigation is under way as to how far this network goes, whether there is a cell in the country, and what the methods of recruiting and funding are.

According to South African reports, investigators found evidence in the girl’s room linking her to recruiters for Isis, jihadists who have captured swathes of Syria and Iraq and who have attracted hundreds of foreign fighters.

In February, the United Nations Security Council warned South Africa against terror groups that might use the country as an operational base. 

                                                                                 

Isis

 There has been a rise in the number of teenagers fleeing and disappearing unceremoniously going to join the group that beheads people or hangs them if they do things that the group finds "unholy". They loathe JIhadists who wear skinny jeans and have Music on their phones and they do not hesitate to kill you if they see you with those. 

Meanwhile, the Capetown teenager has reconciled with parents...but wont they fear living with someone who was willing to go and join a group that kills people alive.