Zimpapers Logo

Nqobile Tshili Chronicle Correspondent
THE government has reinstated civil servants who had been struck off the payroll following an audit to flush out ghost workers.

Among those who were affected were more than 3,000 teachers who had not been paid since July after their removal from the payroll after auditors did not find them at their workstations at the time of the audit.

Apex Council president Richard Gundane yesterday said most of the civil servants who had been removed from the government’s payroll have now received their salaries.

Gundane said the government should be applauded for listening to its employees’ concerns.

“I don’t have the figures but the majority of those who were removed have been reinstated. They’ve started receiving their salaries. It’s a good thing that the correction has been made. I believe most of those who were removed from the payroll are bona fide workers,” said Gundane.

Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association chief executive officer Sifiso Ndlovu said most of the teachers that were removed from the government’s payroll have been re-instated.

“It’s true, 95 percent of members who were removed from the payroll have received their salaries. Only a few of our members are yet to be reinstated. These are people who are having challenges with their papers,” said Ndlovu.

He urged the government to speed up the verification process saying this will speed up the deployment of qualified teachers.

The Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services Priscilla Mupfumira said the government had directed all legitimate workers to resubmit their papers for verification and reinstatement.

“We said those who would have proved themselves that they are authentic government workers will be reinstated,” said Cde Mupfumira.

She referred further questions on numbers of those who have been reinstated so far to the Public Service Commission. The PSC had not responded by the time of going to print.

Some of the civil servants who were affected by the head count were on annual leave while others were on study leave having communicated their absence to their superiors at the time of the audit.