No to non-payment of salaries: Muchinguri-Kashiri
MINISTER of Environment, Water and Climate, Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, has implored on senior officials and parastatal leaders under her portfolio to take a deep introspection into the challenges which were experienced in 2016 with a view to upping their act this year.
She made the remarks on Wednesday during a 2017 strategic workshop in Nyanga which started on Tuesday and will end tomorrow.
The workshop’s objectives were to review the ministry and its parastatals’ performance in 2016 and to foster continuity of projects which started in 2016.
The workshop also sought to align the targets to the budget and mandate of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate to the Zim-Asset thrust and to craft the work plan for 2017.
She hailed the Metrological Services Department for giving accurate predictions of rainfall patterns for this farming season.
Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri implored the MET Department to be on high alert for disasters and has to prioritise strengthening early warning systems, working closely with the Civil Protection Unit.
She expressed gratitude to China for donating weather forecast equipment.
“I want to thank the Chinese government for the donation of communication radios and MET equipment. Now is the time for us to launch them because our people are perishing from floods and other water related disasters yet we have the technology to fore warn impending disasters,” she said.
Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri urged the five parastatal boards under her portfolio to consider promoting business development and ensuring that management of these parastatals stick to their core mandate.
She told the parastatal boards to ensure that workers under them were paid their dues.
“I will not be entertaining any cries of unpaid salaries this year. It is high time you think outside the box ladies and gentlemen and stop being dependent on Government for everything,” she said.