(Last Updated on January 7, 2016 by Editor)
ZIMBABWE – The story in newspaper, of two agents from the Central Intelligence Organization (CIO), who were paid a bonus ahead of other civil servants, has resulted in the arrest of two Zimbabwean journalists.
The bonus, known as the “13th cheque”, should have been paid to all civil servants in December.
The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) has condemned the arrest of editor Nqaba Matshazi and reporter Xolisani Ncube.
“We urge the authorities to desist from media repression and follow what normal and decent countries are doing, which respects professional journalism,” ZUJ’s Foster Dongozi told the BBC.
The authorities say the Newsday story is not true.
The general late payment of civil servants’ salaries has been a pressing issue for the last year.
Soldiers, policemen and teachers no longer have a firm salary date – and in December none of them received their pay before Christmas.
Today, the state-run Herald newspaper says government negotiators, who met worker representatives on Wednesday, have announced specific dates for future salary payments – and also promised to soon tell civil servants when their 2015 bonuses will be paid.
Zimbabwean soldiers on parade.