….‘we are drivers of Pfumvudza’
Upenyu Chaota
The Zimbabwe Agricultural
Professional and Technical Association (ZAPTA), who represent members from the
Ministry of Agriculture, is knocking on the Minister of Finance Professor
Mthuli Ncube’s door demanding a share of the Covid-19 risk allowance cake.
ZAPTA said member of staff in the
Ministry of Agriculture were the backbone of the economy; working with
communities non-stop, driving the government’s Pfumvudza programme.
They argue that despite their
enormous contribution to the economy in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic,
government has failed to provide them with risk allowances.
In a letter to Ncube, dated
November 11, ZAPTA secretary general Zivaishe Zhou says while other civil servants
were receiving risk allowances, Agriculture staff are ignored.
“This has seen the nation
progressing in its initiatives in combating hunger and starvation. This attracts
the need to offer COVID-19 risk allowances to agricultural staff as well. Your
good ministry is known of striving towards uplifting its stakeholders which
also include agricultural employees.
“So many times agricultural
employees have been left out yet they are the ones feeding the nation. As
ZAPTA, we propose for at least 50% of risk allowance because we have been
interacting with farmers since the pandemic of COVID-19 started.
“The salary increment announced
by the government is far less than our expectations. It is just a drop in an
ocean. The increase is procedurally defective and grossly insufficient in
quantum,” reads the letter.
ZAPTA says that its commitment,
despite the existence of the Covid-19 pandemic, had seen the nation making
positive strides towards ensuring food security.
“ZAPTA would like to express its
concerns over 10 percent risk allowances that your Ministry has committed to
offer to all government teachers.
“It’s a noble idea and
appreciated. ZAPTA represent members in the Ministry of Agriculture in which
you join hands with in order to meet economic objectives through improvement of
agricultural production and enhancement of food security.
“Members in the ministry have
been working since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our members are the
drivers of the Pfumvudza programme since its inception and this gives us
confidence in this request,” reads the letter.
