PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe will have to explain his order to
have “Green Bombers” fired by government re-instated, Public Service minister
Priscah Mupfumira has said.
Mupfumira told NewsDay last week that she had not given
authority to the Public Service Commission to “retire” more workers, as reports
emerged of letters flying around forcing thousands of civil servants into
retirement.
“We might need to engage the President on his pronouncement
that those that have been relieved of their duties be re-instated. We need to
understand and have him explain a bit more on that issue,” she said.
Mupfumira seemed to indicate that Mugabe was ill-informed.
“These are people who were affected by the government’s
staff audit. It is nothing new. Unless the PSC has done that behind my back,
but they would not,” she said.
In his address at a youth rally in Chinhoyi last week,
Mugabe claimed that he had not been consulted when government terminated
contracts for over 2000 youth officers and ordered their immediate
reinstatement.
This is in spite of Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa
agreeing with Mugabe on the need to implement public service reforms as part of
measures to access cheap budgetary support to expedite Zimbabwe’s re-admission
into the international finance system. The government has a reported 500 000
strong workforce which gobble over 90% of its revenues.
But despite Mugabe’s rant, government seems to be
continuing with the process. NewsDay is in possession of a copy of a notice
that quotes Statutory Instrument 1 of 2000, written to some civil servants who
were being forced into early retirement.
“The Commission (PSC) intends to retire you from the Public
Service in terms of Section 18 (4) (e) (ii) of the Public Service Regulations
2000 as amended. This section provides for the Commission to retire a member
owing to the reduction in or adjustment of a ministry or other division of the
civil service.
“In terms of Section 18 (5) (i) and (ii) of the said
regulations you are hereby notified of the Commission’s intention to retire you
and offered the opportunity to make representations in writing for the
Commission’s consideration,” read the letter, giving workers two weeks to
respond.
But, Mupfumira said she was unaware of the alleged
circular.
“I am not aware of that process (to retire workers). We
only know that some people were recommended for retirement because their
positions were made redundant after the staff audit. You could find out from
the PSC,” she said.
Mugabe at one time came short of describing Chinamasa as an
“enemy of the State” after the Treasury chief announced the suspension of
bonuses to civil servants on two separate occasions in the past two years.
newsday
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