Analyst says Zimbabwe likely to witness food riots.

Text of report by privately-owned weekly newspaper The Zimbabwe Independent website on 20 January

[Article by Wongai Zhangazha: "'Starvation Wage' Riles Civil Servants"]

When Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said at his inauguration in February 2009 that civil servants would start earning salaries in foreign currency that would enable them to provide for their families, the joy was unbridled.

This was after all coming from a former trade unionist made good, who during his campaign in 2008 said he held the "keys" to unlock resources that would see among other things civil servants' working conditions improve.

In his inauguration speech, Tsvangirai said: "As Prime Minister I make this commitment that, as from the end of this month, our professionals in the civil service, every health worker, teacher, soldier and policeman will receive their pay in foreign currency until we are able to stabilise the economy."

"These hard currency salaries will enable people to go to work, to feed their families and to survive until such time that we can begin …