Civil Servants Demand Contracts Before Poll Participation

Civil servants have warned that they may not participate in the national constitutional referendum or elections as polling officers if they are not given contracts.

This follows the non-payment of allowances for civil servants who participated in the August national population census.

Raymond Majongwe, sercretary general of the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), said they had taken a cue from parliamentarians who refused to pass the 2012 national budget unless they were paid outstanding allowances.

“For the meantime, we expect Finance Minister tendai Biti to unpack his budget before January to prove that there is an increment for civil servants,” Majongwe told the state – run Herald newspaper.

Civil servants are always used for national exercises in return for allowances that they say are either too little or not paid on time.

Majongwe said: “In the event that there is no meaningful increment, there would be no point in participating in the events (referendum and elections). We know that anyone who needs our vote in the election will push that we get increments be it Zanu PF, MDC-T or MDC-N.”

PTUZ regional representative for Matabeleland, Enock Paradzayi. said civil servants are tired of being used and without pay.

Interview With Enock Paradzayi

Several enumerators threatened to withhold data collection material soon after the completion of the exercise, demanding outstanding daily allowances.

People in various areas including Mhondoro in Mashonaland West, Matabeleland North's Lupane District and other regions indicated that they were not counted and suggested that the program should be extended.

Some Zimbabweans criticized the research methods applied in the national census saying they were not suitable for the country..