Zim government making efforts to pay employees

According to a report, Labour Minister Prisca Mupfumira admitted that the July salaries would be delayed, but was quick to say that the government would pay the salaries earlier than last month.

Mupfumira maintained that the government was making "frantic efforts" to pay its workers on time.

She was quoted as saying, "as the parent ministry, we are always in touch with the civil servants unions and treasury. We are in the final stages and dates will be availed to the workers first before they go to the public."

This came amid reports that President Robert Mugabe's government had also delayed the payment of soldiers' salaries.

The military is usually the first priority for payment, due to their role in protecting the regime of Mugabe.

The cash-strapped government, reportedly spent more than 80% of its revenue on wages, but in recent times had to resort to staggering pay dates as it scraped the bottom of its coffers.

In recent weeks, widespread sporadic protests erupted in the country as a number of people spoke out against the government's shortcomings.

The country was brought to an abrupt standstill after the teachers, doctors and nurses went on an national strike over their unpaid June salaries two weeks ago.