INFORMATION minister Jonathan Moyo who attended a recent press conference where Chinamasa announced that he was suspending bonuses for civil servants until 2017 because the cash-strapped government could not afford the payments knew that President Mugabe was to dress him down during Independence Day celebrations and he ran away, to his home town Tsholotsho, theZimbabwenewslive.com can reveal.
Explaining his decision Chinamasa said “We are paying people to sit in their offices (but) we will not pay because there is no capacity to do so.”
But President Robert Mugabe reversed the decision at the weekend, and launched a scathing public attack on the minister.Moyo was at the press conference alongside Treasury boss Patrick Chinamasa, when he announced the suspension of civil servants’ bonuses which has become a toxic issue in light of President Mugabe’s public tongue-lashing of Chinamasa
The Zanu PF leader said he was disgusted by the decision, adding Chinamasa had not consulted the presidency and Cabinet over the issue.
Prof Moyo then gave a lame excuse that he had to make preparations for the Tsholotsho North constituency by-election scheduled for June 10.Moyo faces no credible challenge in this constituency since the mainstream opposition MDC-T is boycotting citing that there is need for implementation of electoral reforms before they can participate in future elections.
Politically Mugabe was once warned of the weevils and once referred to Moyo as the Devil Incarnate
However Moyo looked very unhappy at the Harare International Airport where he and other senior cabinet ministers saw off Mugabe leaving Harare last night for Jakarta, Indonesia where he joins other world leaders for the Asia-Africa Summit that coincides with celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the historic Bandung conference that laid the groundwork for the Non-Aligned Movement. The President was accompanied by First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe and other Government officials.
Meanwhile , South African president Jacob Zuma sent his Deputy Cyril Ramaphosa for the Jakarta meeting.
Moyo has said Cabinet ministers are only human and will make mistakes as he defended beleaguered finance minister Patrick Chinamasa and yet they were all in agreement for the decision.
