PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has pampered soldiers and the police, giving them between $5 000 and $8 000 COVID-19 allowances which critics say are meant to appease them ahead of the planned July 31 protests by opposition and civic groups. BY MOSES MATENGA In contrast, teachers were awarded $1 200. Mnangagwa last month awarded government workers a 50% salary hike and a non-taxable US$75 three months COVID-19 allowance to cushion them from the economic crisis that has eroded earnings and savings. With inflation running at 786% and the prices of basic commodities rising daily, workers are demanding United States dollar salaries and rejected the government offer. The increment, recently described by Information permanent secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana as “a gift”, reflected in civil servants’ accounts on Tuesday, showing a huge disparity between other civil servants and security forces. While police and soldiers got $5 000 and $8 000 respectively, other civil servants including teachers questioned why government gave them only $1 200. They now await the US$75 COVID-19 allowance promised by government. Observers immediately described the government move as a ploy to appease members of the uniformed forces ahead of the protests against the deteriorating economic situation in the country. In separate interviews, teachers, military and police officers confirmed receiving the allowances which they immediately rubbished as a useless gesture by government. Analyst Rashweat Mukundu said the disparities exposed the divide and rule tactic by the government which was banking on soldiers and police to crush dissent. “It is a clear strategy of divide and rule in which government is pampering the security sector in order to use it for repression and suppressing protests by other civil servants as we saw a few days back where police were used to chase and arrest striking nurses protesting over poor salaries,” Mukundu said. “Government is in a survival mode and not necessarily focusing on resolving issues faced by civil servants. Essentially, it is a strategy to pamper and give more money to those you will unleash on protesters. “It is partly to prepare for end of month protests being planned and it is an unfortunate way to deal with the civil servants crisis of livelihood.” Mangwana was not picking calls yesterday, but hinted on his Twitter handle that Mnangagwa might be forced to lock down Harare and Bulawayo in the face of rising local COVID-19 cases, a move seen by observers as an excuse to block the planned anti-government protests. Zanu PF communications director Tafadzwa Mugwadi said government would unleash the security forces to quell “the illegal protest”. “I am pretty sure these July 31 issues will be a non-event,” Mugwadi said. “It is illegal and it is not going to happen. I am pretty sure that our law enforcement agents, whom the nation has entrusted with the responsibility to maintain peace and order and also ensure that lockdown regulations are enforced to the full, are not going to fold their arms and watch people