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Zimbabwe: Mugabe Claims to Have Reduced His Monthly Salary to $4,000

Robert Mugabe 615w (att Technical Sergeant Jeremy Lock)

Weekly French Translation

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has reduced his monthly salary to $4,000 (about 2,800 euros) due to the economic crisis affecting the country.

Le président zimbabwéen Robert Mugabe a réduit son salaire mensuel à 4 000 dollars (environ 2 800 euros) en raison de la crise économique qui touche son pays.

This article has been translated from French. Click here to read the original version on Jeune Afrique.

Robert Mugabe himself admits that "times are tough." In an interview with BBC, Zimbabwe's president announced the reduction of his monthly salary to $4000, equivalent to 2,800 euros per month. "I earn $4000 now because times are tough. This is what we decided; we must recognize that times are tough right now," he said in the interview, excerpts of which were published by state media.

The media does not specify the amount of the previous salary of the president, in a country where the average monthly wage is $300, and where about 80% of the workforce is unemployed.

An estimated $10 million private residence

Robert Mugabe, 90, in power since Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, did not specify the amount of his other income, outside of his salary as the president. Known for his luxurious taste, he is the figurehead of several companies and has recently built a private residence, estimated to be worth more than $10 million (7.2 million euros) on the outskirts of Harare, the Zimbabwean capital. Last month, he facilitated the marriage of his daughter in the presence of over 4,000 guests and offered $100,000 to the young couple.

The government announced last month that it limited the legal remuneration of all directors of state enterprises to $6000 per month (4,300 euros), after receiving poor press articles revealing their lifestyles of "excess." The head of the local social security, for example, received $535 499 per month.

Radical politics

Zimbabwe is slowly recovering from the economic collapse of the 2000s, during which it was forced to abandon its currency. Many economists have become pessimistic about the future of the country since the controversial re-election of Robert Mugabe last year, fearing that his radical politics - particularly his requirement that foreign companies sell the majority of their holdings in Zimbabwean business to local interests – further discourages investors.

The fear that a lack of money would stifle even more fragile companies has reappeared. Even prior to the banks' failure to dispense cash to customers in December, riots were rampant.

Article translated by Allie Stauss, Staff Intern for the Africa Program at the Wilson Center.

Photo courtesy of Technical Sergeant Jeremy Lock via Wikimedia Commons.

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