HARARE - Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday met with his shadow cabinet and declared they had solutions to turn around the deteriorating Zimbabwean economy.
The shadow cabinet discussed the plight of civil servants, who are failing to reach a pay deal with the Zanu PF government.
Nelson Chamisa, MDC shadow minister of information and publicity told the Daily News the MDC has solutions to problems besetting the nation.
“We have the keys to turn around the economy of Zimbabwe. Our fellow colleagues in Zanu PF have failed for decades,” Chamisa said.
He said the $79 salary increment proposed for civil servants by the Zanu PF government was disrespectful and pathetic.
“We need to restore the decency and dignity of a worker and citizen of Zimbabwe by addressing to so many pressing issues such as the limping industry in Zimbabwe,” he said.
Chamisa said the alternative government (MDC shadow cabinet) stands ready to extricate the country from the deep economic crisis.
“What is paining is that we have all the resources in our country, but we have nothing to show for that because of corruption,” he said.
“How can a government wonder over some unprecedented salaries in some institution while it is supposed to be checking every corridor in the government?”
After meeting his party’s shadow cabinet, the former prime minister proceeded to meet Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) officials to discuss the economic crunch and the plight of ordinary workers.
Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka said the meeting with ZCTU was a reaffirmation by his boss of commitment towards workers.
“The president is concerned with the plight of workers and he regularly meets with ZCTU to map the way forward,” Tamborinyoka said.
Chamisa said the shadow cabinet expressed concern over the liquidity crunch, job losses, closing down of companies and the national budget that he said does not solve the country’s problems.
“MDC is worried over the 1 million students who have been cut off the Beam project due to the failure of the government to provide for the underprivileged,” he said.
Over one million students have failed to go to school this week because the Basic Education Assistance Model (Beam) has no money.
Chamisa criticised Zanu PF over empty promises.