On Tuesday, the Zimbabwean cabinet established a minimum salary of US$150 per month for all industries, with the provision that it be paid in either Zimbabwe dollars or foreign currency at the prevailing willing buyer willing seller rate. Alternatively companies and organisations can choose to pay their workers a portion of their salaries in each currency. Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, who oversees the Ministry of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services, made the following statement after a cabinet meeting:

Pertaining to salaries and wages, here are some of the recommendations:- that a guide be provided to all bargaining platforms across all sectors to strive towards pegging the minimum wage at US$150.00 payable either in ZWL$ or at the prevailing bank rate.

Minister Mutsvangwa

This pronouncement is unlikely to go down well with the majority of the populace including civil servants. Before the socalled second republic took over and reintroduced the Zimbabwean dollar most civil servants were earning around US$540 per month. Asking them to take a massive pay cut will most likely cause them to lash out. In fact the government and its workers have been embroiled in a nasty pay dispute that has lasted for years. The opposition CCC have also scoffed at this minimum wage:

$150? That’s inadequate. No wonder the @WorldBank found that half of Zimbabweans live in extreme poverty. This is not enough. It can’t even cover one child’s school fees let alone food, rent, electricity & basic living expenses. We need new leaders.

CCC’s spokersperson Fadzai Mahere

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