‘Harare City Council Executives, Caught Up In salary Scandal’

Salary scandal is reported to have rocked the city of Harare with the top officials at the local authority allegedly refusing to implement the required levels demanded by the government.

Harare Residents Trust said there is an ongoing scandal in the salaries structure at Harare City Council. Information that has been made available to the residents’ movement is that the City’s top four position holders are resisting to implement in full the salary levels demanded by the Government of Zimbabwe.

“As the HRT, we note with concern that the new salary scales being proposed for implementation by the City of Harare are inconsistent with revenue inflows into the coffers of the council,” said the trust.

“The top four grades at Council, made up of the Town Clerk, Chamber Secretary, Human Resources and Public Safety Director, City Treasurer, Works Director, Harare Water Director Health Director among others have devised a comprehensive plan to maintain the huge gap in terms of earnings with the rest of the council employees from Grades 5 up to Grade 16.”

The trust said a confidential note from well placed officials reveal that while the Government has directed the council to pay a maximum US$6 000 to the Town Clerk, the City of Harare has come up with US12 300, which includes something identified as retention of US$2 095.

“From this alone, it is evident that the City of Harare still wants its directors to earn above what the Government has set for the Capital City, and still trying to create a clear division of the top management and the lower employees,” said the trust.by Stephen Jakes. source-byo24