State-Run Newspaper Reports Salary Increase for President Mugabe

VOA News, 27 Mar.

Zimbabwe’s state-run newspaper says the government has increased President Robert Mugabe’s annual salary by more than 350 percent.

The Herald newspaper cites a government notice Saturday, that says the president now earns about $17,000 a year (73.7 million Zimbabwe dollars), up from $4700 (20,2 million Zimbabwe dollars) last year.

In addition, the paper said the president’s housing allowance has increased from $350 a year (1.5 million Zimbabwe dollars) to $700 a year (3,024 million Zimbabwe dollars).

Zimbabwe is facing its worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1980. Inflation has risen to more than 600 percent and unemployment has soared.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.