Broke Air Zimbabwe Owes Workers US$1.4million in Salaries
Harare, Zimbabwe, 21 October 2009 Air Zimbabwe, the wholly government-owned Zimbabwe National Airline has not paid its workers since February this year and owes them a total of US$1.4million, according to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Patson Mbiriri. "At the moment, we can not find a suitor for the airline as no one is willing to take over liability for our debts," Mbiriri told State media yesterday. "We are currently living from hand to mouth in most sectors of the economy," he added. The airline has now approached government to help with retrenchment packages for its workers, Mbiriri said, admitting that the airline is "overstaffed" and this was hampering efforts to find an investor. Air Zimbabwe currently employs 175 technicians, for instance, which is way too much for its fleet of three functioning jets. The Chief Executive of the Airline admits that the national carrier "is in intensive care" while ...