Whenever money is mentioned these days ears perk up, not because we love it, but it has turned out to be a much needed necessity that the entire world is looking out for.
It is therefore no surprise at all that since the beginning of the month everyone has been looking at the direction of civil servants who are expected to get a bumper salary review pay this week, but it turns out they may have to wait till next weekend because the salaries are being run late.
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I have been scrolling on my phonebook this past week, to see which of my civil servant friends I can text ‘hey girl’ or ‘angisakwati mnganiwami’, but it turns out I do not have many or any that can afford to spare me E200 because of the tough economic times we live under.
I have one who is a police officer and he is always liking my WhatsApp updates and greets from time to time, but I would not dare ask him for his dvuladvula because firstly I am scared of people who carry guns and I would not like to give him that impression that I like him or ask him for dvuladvula or Phase II because ehhh what if he shots me.
I continued to scroll through the civil servants who are my nurse and doctor ‘friends’ nabo I just saw that they will need the little money they will be receiving eventually so why bother them.
The rest of my ‘civil servant’ friends are Members of Parliament whom come ‘dvuladvula’ day will come up with all sorts of excuses. For example one or two are guaranteed to say ‘why didn’t you say so earlier my friend’ while others will tell me about their constituents who need help with food, school fees, burials and a borehole which needs reinstallation.
After going through my entire phone list I realised that there’s only one person I could ask ‘dvuladvula’ from, but needless to say she would say I should come get it in Malaysia LOL. Anyway, the point of this column today is to ask that we do not put too much pressure on the public servants be it this month or moving forward. Reason being, from a majority of their reactions I can tell that they aren’t too pleased with what they will be getting come month end and like the rest of us, they have serious bills to pay and owe lots of people out there.
At first the public service unions were determined that they would be taking no offer less than the maximum E1.6 billion which they expected from government.
However, as they days went by with plenty sleepless nights they gave in to what government was currently offering.
I would be lying if I’d say I know what government had offered and how it would be paid especially in terms of the phases that they mentioned, but because of the financial need we are all in the PSU’s eventually gave in without their maximum demands.
The longer the talks dragged the more the public servants debts would increase so I guess the theory of half a loaf of bread is better than nothing eventually had to apply.
I am no financial advisor or expert, but I would like to urge government officials who will be ‘smiling’ to the bank next week to at least pay their basic bills.
These include our famous water company EWSC, our rentals for those without government housing, buy food, pay school fees and please pay that outstanding debt you owe to a friend whom you do not even talk to anymore because of that loan that he or she gave you. I personally think those are the debts that keep you up at night due to stress as they always hangover your head.
The money has come at a very good time especially since stokvels are now collecting their balances so do cover those debts so you can go and borrow again in time to pay school fees. It is a good thing though that the money will keep rising because according to my understanding government has promised to pay up the full amount by July 2026.
If it is any comfort though I am told that money is never enough because the more of it you come across the more bills you acquire.
So I can only advise like the consumer associations normally advise that you do spend your money wisely as little as most of you claim that it is. It would also be wise that government gets counselling for some of the civil servants because others had made higher calculations based on what they thought they would initially receive.
If it is any comfort though everyone seems to be living from hand to mouth these days so do not be too sad.
Remember to always be kind.
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