BY GARIKAI TUNHIRA
JUNIOR officers in the spy agency, the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) are reportedly not happy with the huge salary gap between them and their bosses, NewsDay has learnt.
This paper is reliably informed that about three weeks ago, their bosses, starting from the district intelligence officer (DIO) going up, had their monthly salaries increased to more than $18 000, a situation which has ruffled feathers among the juniors, who feel they were being hard done.
The DIOs are reportedly now getting a little more than $18 000, up from $2 500, while the provincial intelligence officers had their salaries hiked to $23 000, up from $3 500.
Below the DIOs are senior intelligence officers, who are reportedly getting between $2 500 and $2 800, while the rest are in the region of $2 000.
The senior officials are said to be victimising some low-ranking intelligence officers, accusing them of causing disharmony in the spy agency.
“There are suspicions that some soldiers and police officers, as well as junior intelligence officers, are not happy with their salaries, worse the huge salary gap. So now the bosses are asking which junior officers are not happy. They allege there are a some operatives in the secret service who are moving around agitating others to be vocal about their salaries,” a source said.
“It doesn’t need a rocket scientist to tell you that the economy is crashing and the salaries we are getting are rendered useless because of inflation. So the juniors are questioning what criteria was used for there to be a $16 000 salary gap.”
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Another source said when the junior officers’ salaries were increased by about $400, the seniors were unhappy that they had been left out.
State Security minister Owen Ncube said he does not speak to the media over the phone when asked to comment.
“Come to my office if you have anything,” he said curtly.
There are about 10 000 members of CIO, up from an estimated 7 000.
The least paid civil servant is earning around $1 023, up from $582, after government in August increased their salaries by 76%.
