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Harare City Council workers stage go-slow after two months without salaries

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………….As HCC buys 12 luxury cars for bosses

HARARE City Council (HCC) workers have downed tools in protest against poor welfare conditions and non-payment of salaries, adding to the municipality’s growing challenges.

The workers have not been paid for two months, and the council has failed to honour its promise to pay them on time.
Their situation has been worsened by the ongoing economic difficulties, which have significantly eroded the value of their yet-to-be-paid salaries due to inflation.

In a letter addressed to HCC’s senior officials, the Zimbabwe Municipalities Nurses and Allied Workers Union (ZIMNAWU) president Simbarashe Tafirenyika expressed concerns over the council’s delays in paying its workers, which has led to severe financial strain.

“This unacceptable situation has drastically impacted workers’ livelihoods, working conditions, and overall well-being. The delay in salary payments has caused financial hardship and discontent, as salaries are being eroded by inflation.

“This has left our members incapacitated, which in turn affects service delivery. We urge the City of Harare to address these delays and ensure that workers are paid on time. Please note that employees have not been paid for December 2024 or January 2025, and February is already approaching.

“According to Statutory Instrument 13 of 2015, workers should be paid by the 28th of each month. We urge your office not to stagger salary payments and to pay all workers at once, as the current situation is causing disharmony in the workforce due to the instability of our local currency,” read the letter.

HARARE City Council’s procurement manager was yesterday grilled over the purchase of 12 high-end Toyota Fortuner GD6 vehicles for all directors plus a 13th luxurious Toyota Prado VX200 for the town clerk, amid concerns that council is prioritising executive comforts over essential services.

This comes amid revelations that the top brass mutually agreed to keep a low profile by not driving their luxury Toyota Fortuner GD6 vehicles to work, instead using smaller vehicles or discreetly parking their high-end cars at a distance from Town House to avoid drawing attention to their luxury perks.

The startling revelations came out yesterday when the city’s procurement management unit supply chain manager, Mr Never Murerwa, appeared before the commission into Harare City Council chaired by retired judge Justice Maphios Cheda.

He admitted before the commission that council was wasting ratepayers’ money by buying expensive vehicles at the expense of service delivery. This is an Ignite Media Zimbabwe news production.

“We received information that there are 12 new Toyota GD6 which were given to officials. And they are even shy to drive them. They park them in parkades and they walk to Town House,” Ms Joyce Shumba, one of the witnesses told the commission.

“And then after work, they walk to the parkade. Why can’t they drive their official vehicles? Because they know that they were not supposed to have vehicles prioritised for official issue.”

When questioned about the purchase of luxury vehicles for top directors, Mr Murerwa deflected responsibility, stating that he had no authority to refuse the acquisition, and instead shifted the blame to the human resources department.

He was also grilled over the procurement of a Toyota Prado VX 200 series for the town clerk – a vehicle normally assigned to Cabinet ministers.

“I reported to you that your office ratified the procurement of a Ministerial vehicle for a town clerk who is, according to grading in Government systems, at the level of a chief director who cannot have such a type of vehicle for their grade,” Ms Shumba said.

When asked whether the council was now equating the town clerk to a Minister, Mr Murerwa again shifted the blame to the human resources department.

Several high-ranking officials from the Harare City Council have testified before the commission, lifting the lid on a complex web of corruption within the council and officials feeding from the trough.

The officials who have appeared before the commission include suspended town clerk Eng Hosiah Chisango, principal housing officer Edgar Dzehonye, acting finance director Godfrey Kusangaya, acting valuations and estates manager Peter Dube, business committee chair Clr Lovemore Makuwerere, audit chair Clr Blessing Duma, city housing director Addmore Nhekairo, acting chamber secretary Warren Chiwawa, environmental management committee chair Clr Cecilia Chimbiri, acting head of revenue collection Alfred Guni, and Mr Nelson Chamisa.

–Herald

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