…Employees go for 3 months without allowances
Beverly Bizeki
Employees currently involved in the mobile national identity document issuance blitz conducted by the Civil Registry Department are claiming to have gone for three months without allowances whilst issuing national identity documents, TellZim News has heard.
It is reported that close to 250 people in Masvingo province currently engaged with the department for the blitz are living under ‘bad conditions’ with some using own money for sustenance as they have not received allowances for this purpose since June 2022.
Sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said those in Masvingo Province last received their allowances in May whilst Harare and Bulawayo were reportedly last paid in June.
“We have gone for three months without being paid allowances which we are supposed to use whilst we are out and because we haven’t been paid we end up using our own money from the little that we are paid and its straining us since we are away from our families,” said the source.
It is reported that the Department has employed about 3000 people (nationally) with 1900 being from the Civil Registry Department and 1100 outsourced from other government departments.
Masvingo Provincial Registrar Sithembeni Chitsa declined to comment and said all matters are referred to Harare.
“I cannot comment on that. You can submit your questions in writing, then we can forward them to Harare for comments,” she said.
It is also said that employees working in the office for extended hours are supposed to receive US $ 60 at prevailing interbank rate whereas those working out of office should receive US$ 120 Interbank Rate.
The mobile national identity document issuance blitz started in April 2022 with the aim of providing an opportunity to citizens to get national documents so as to enable them to register as voters in the 2023 elections is supposed to end on September 30.
Those involved in the census exercise were yet to be paid their allowance for work done in April with Zimstat having promised to clear the arrears by Friday (September 16).
Similarly, those who were involved in voter education in June are also yet to be paid their allowances.
