Poverty Datum Line shoots to ZWL$21k, doubles Civil Servants Salaries

The lowest paid civil servant in the country will now be paid ZWL$11.350 per month while the nations poverty datum line has been pegged at ZWL21 000.

Earning such paltry salaries makes it extremely hard for the civil servant to survive the battled economy.

On Wednesday the CCZ announced that the cost of living for a family of six people increased to ZWl$21000 in the month of September up from ZWL$14400 in August.

CCZ reports that the food basket increased by $568.45 or 5.29% from $10 742.82 by end of August 2020 to $11 311.27 by end-September 2020.

While the increase has taken effect salaries are still stagnant presenting a difficult way of survival for civil servants .

Commenting on the rise of cost living while salaries fail to match up Secretary General for the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe said , “ Teachers are not on Strike, but incapacitated 24 hours after the government supported CCZ put the PDL at well over $20 000 gvt is announcing a salary of $12 000. What reaction do they expect from the patriotic loyal but suffering and starving teachers.”

Their salaries can not capacitate them against inflation, high transports costs and pricing of good and services in USD.

Civil servants have been demanding government for a salary increment in USD to sustain them in the deteriorating economy

Teachers across the country earn not more close to half of the living cost ,with the recent emerge of their salaries with the COVID19 allowance the amount still lives them incapacitated.

Doctors have also been demanding payment of salaries in USD , while government has been reluctant to meet these demands.

Meanwhile ,the increase in the cost of living will also affect other workers across the country whose salaries have not been reviewed to meet the rising inflation.