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diamond money as all formal channels were followed, Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation chairman Mr Godwills Masimirembwa said yesterday.

Workers’ representatives had found no joy after meeting Pri-me Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Finance Minister Tendai Biti and his Public Service counterpart Eliphas Mukonoweshuro who to-ld them that an increment was impossible as State coffers were dry.

Their hopes were only raised in April after meeting President Mugabe who promised them a salary review in June from diamond revenue.
He said the ministries of Fina-nce and Mines and Mining Development were involved in handling the funds used to pay Government workers.
He dismissed as a “figment of their imagination” reports by some sectors that ZMDC had deposited the money directly to the Salary Service Bureau sala-ries account and not through Treasury.

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The lowest-paid Government worker, who used to get US$128, is now getting US$253.
Said Mr Masimirembwa: “This is just the creation of people who were not happy with the progress. It is clear that ZMDC operates through the Ministry of Mines and it was the ministry that gave the Ministry of Finance money to pay the state workers through Treasury.

“Even if you inquire with the two ministries involved, the money was never paid directly. Ask the accountant- general in Minister Biti’s office, Ms Judith Madzorera, who handles the funds, she will tell you that the money, was not paid directly but it came through Treasury,” he said.

“This is a figment of the imagination of detractors because now and then proper channels have always been followed.
“These stories are coming from misguided people who were not directly involved in the funds,” he said.

Mr Masimirembwa however, declined to disclose the amount ZMDC had given Treasury saying it was Minister Obert Mpofu’s responsibility.
Efforts to get a comment from Minister Mpofu yesterday were fruitless, as his mobile phone was not reachable.

Other sections of the media, alongside senior officials of some political parties, were accusing ZMDC of aiding Zanu-PF to run parallel structures in the inclusive Government by opposing the operations of the Ministry of Finance.

The reports claimed that the Finance Ministry had provided only US$120 million to the civil service salaries account while the ZMDC had directly chipped in with the balance of US$40 million.
They also said there was no evidence that the ZMDC board sat to discuss paying money of such a magnitude to the Government while Finance Minister Tendai Biti was said to be unaware of the salary hike.

Commenting on whether ZMDC would be able to continue subsidising the salaries, Mr Masimirembwa said the corporation would not hesitate to play its part when called to carry out national obligations.
“ZMDC and its partners would continue to mine and sell diamonds for the benefit of Zimbabweans. There are no complications from this arrangement as some are claiming. Let me be quick to point out that Government does not want diamond money to benefit civil servants alone but we will continue to support other sectors for the benefit of the country.
“People should not be let down by stories which emanate from detractors like the European Union, United States of America and sell-outs in our own country as they never want to see progress in the country,” he said.