via Gvt seen manipulating salaries scam as Harare Town clerk suspended | SW Radio Africa by Mthulisi Mathuthu on Thursday, January 30, 2014
Harare Town Clerk Tendai Mahachi has become the latest public official to be suspended over the salaries saga, in a move seen as part of the ZANU PF government’s attempt to spruce up its image, as well as an indication of factional in-fighting.
Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni suspended Mahachi onThursday, for a period of three months, after the town clerk failed to provide the salary and benefits schedule of all Harare City Council senior employees, including his own. But it was revealed in press reports that the salaries of Mahachi and 18 other senior managers totalled $500,000 a month. A Thursday NewsDay report said just one director’s salary of $37,000 was enough to pay the wages of 227 low-earning council workers.
On Tuesday Manyenyeni revealed at a press conference that ‘presidential interest’ in the salaries issue began to ‘weigh in’, in December 2013.
The revelations are part of the ongoing expose of top public executives’ salaries. ZBC chief executive Happison Muchechetere was the first to go on ‘forced leave’ after it was revealed that he was earning a monthly salary of $40,000. Premier Services Medical Aid Society boss Cuthbert Dube was Monday forced to retire, after it was revealed that he was earning $230,000 a month.
Civil society activists have been quick to say these revelations are part of the ZANU PF government’s attempt to clean up its image by appearing to be stamping out corruption.
The Harare Residents Trust said it is in ‘no doubt’ that ‘corporate theft and the looting of public resources has the blessing of government officials.’ A statement from the pressure group said that rather than be surprised by these revelations the public must be ‘angry at being taken for granted’ by public officials.
But as most of the revelations have been made by the state media, analysts also see the on-going revelations of parastatal mega-salaries as a manifestation of ZANU PF’s in-fighting.
SW Radio Africa correspondent Lionel Saungweme said most of the people affected by the purported clampdown on salary scams belong to a faction led by vice president Joice Mujuru. Saungweme said ‘a trend has been set’ where the faction led by justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, could claim that it is ‘morally upright and the other one is corrupt.’
Muchechetere is said to be a friend of former information minister Webster Shamu, while the suspended Harare Town Clerk is known to be friends with local government minister Ignatius Chombo. Both Shamu and Chombo belong to the Mujuru faction.
Saungweme said the fact that the Herald newspaper was spearheading the campaign against the salary scams showed that the whole thing was about factionalism. The Herald is routinely used by ZANU PF factions to settle scores.
On Thursday the paper heaped all the blame for the Town House salaries saga on Mahachi. In a particularly vitriolic attack the paper urged the government to ‘throw all muck at him’ and further accused him of leading a ‘venal clique that cannibalizes the city.’
COMMENTS
It’s called shutting the gate after the cattle have escaped. So, those with the monstrous salaries must retire or be fired, big deal. They walk away with the millions ZANUPF allowed them through their tenure. ZANUPF gains no virtue credits for this. They and Mugabe fathered the culture of corruption that has sank Zim. They must take the blame. Would be nice to see them take it with a hood over their head.
nhai imi vanhu veZANU PF ikozvino Mahachi azoshata mushure memakore mangani,mazimbavha.we wl nt forgive u.probe also clerk of parliament.
We need opposition parties. Look at the “Mnagangwa opposition party” is doing to expose the rot in the “riling Mujuru party”. It’s partying time, let dog eat dog.
The Zunu pf machinery spearheaded by Jonathan Moyo is seeking to cleanse its self to seek legitimacy. They will not succeed. You cannot get clean if you bath with urine.You cannot brush your teeth with cattle dung and expect to have fresh breath. For what they done they will never ever be credible.
As far as I am concerned I do not care who eats who because all of them are corrupt and insensitive to our sufferings.
The real acid test is what Govt/ZPF will actually do to prosecute these thieves. My bet is nothing, just vent a lot hot air.
there is absolutely no sincerity in this purge as it is one faction fighting another.we will see a situation where a Mujuru aligned minister will expose anyone from another faction who happens to hold a management post within his ministry to be replaced by management loyal to the minister’s faction and continue looting.why are we being told of these salaries now when these executives have been getting them for so many years?honestly they don’t expect us to believe that nobody knew how much Muchechetere was earning and that he was not qualified for the post.why after the elections we are beginning to hear these stories when all along the crumbling down of these parastatals has been attributed to ‘sanctions’?
It’s more like a pig kicking out it’s pigletts from the stye because they are dirty.
All Zanus must be put in front of a firing squad and the people of our great country take pot shots at them for causing our suffering.
I still like the idea of Avengers snake pit unfortunately I think the snakes will lose against the bunch of predators.
the whole system has to be wiped out.Zanu Pf has killed this country
It seems that the comments nail it… it’s nothing but factional fighting. If ZANUPF were serious about cleaning up the mess, there would be many calls from high places to expose all salaries/bonuses, and all would be required to file financial statements of the holding of them and their families… and those statements would be available for examination and published by the Herald.
But, we hear no such voices, because it was never about independence and freedom… only to free up the wealth for a few. Robbery… a heist of the nth degree… greatest in the history of mankind… and they pulled it off by enlisting many naive innocents expecting a better life for their countrymen.
We all know its about factionalism because no ZANU_PF leader really give a damn to the squandering of public resource or the plight of ordinary foot soldiers who go months and months without being paid their poverty-wages. Stealing or looting public assets by the ordained ZANU_PF functionaries is indeed a ZANU_PF sanctioned divine right for them. We surely know whats a play is nothing else but factional cleans – in short if those currently under fire are from faction A (say Teurayiropa faction)then the whole issue is about substitution the Teu faction with the Ngwena faction guys, who will similarly have an open cheque to public resources for as long as the minister in the same faction is in-charge. When Muchechetere & cronies were busy looting Shamu was their with eyes wide open – most likely urging them to do more than what they were doing before time ran out for them.
Obviously, I’m not against those punishing the looters, regardless of their really motive I will always support it. Looters must know that there is a price to pay when certain things change even when ZANU_PF is still in power. They should then ask themselves: what about when real change comes one day??
Chombo is still in cabinet after so many years of allegations and exposures that he owns stands in nearly every urban and rural council. Eish Jehovha help my beloved country. This Zanu PF virus is eating up my Zimbabwe!!!!
The headline we were hoping for is “Fraudsters arrested” This will not happen. They will reappear in different portfolio’s. On an earlier contribution I apologised to a contributor for not realizing that he was not talking to me. I want to make myself very clear. I do not believe this administration is or has done the correct thing. I still believe that I should tell the story. The people that I have debated with today were basically fighting and spreading hate. They went off topic and so did I. For once I actually missed Murimi. I do not like what he stands for but at least he believes in his beliefs no matter what I think of them.
What I am asking myself is, is it worth it to continue here when you get a few people that are fighting keep on disrupting the debate. Not only has Murimi been absent but also my internet friend NBS. Clive has also given up.
Do liitle I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU WANT TO GIVE UP. Some of us were inspired by Fallenz, Do little, Rabbit,Mixed race and co. I know you had a bad day, but thats what life is all about.
My friend that is true,but it tears me apart ,the mtwakazi, RA AND Khayi bonninie situation. Why can they not agree to disagree? Imagine when our grandchildren hear their hatred.
I hear you. ngi yezwa.
Ngiyabonga