via 2 000 Harare City Council workers face axe March 6, 2014 by Moses Matenga NewsDay
THE MDC-T-dominated Harare City Council is today set to debate and adopt a proposal to shed off more than 2 000 jobs to rationalise the ballooning municipality wage bill.
Impeccable sources in the council’s human resources committee told NewsDay yesterday that the committee had recommended the workforce be reduced from 9 000 to 6 500 workers from the shop floor to top executives.
The council’s top management is made up of 60 heads of departments or divisions of which 16 are directors.
Council officials yesterday said the major shakeup was beneficial for the operations of the local authority currently weighed down by the bloated workforce, with some workers said to be over the retirement age of 60 years.
“The committee will make recommendations tomorrow (today) on the matter which may be adopted by a full council meeting. Once adopted, then the implementation of the resolutions (will) begin. We are looking at about 2 000 people who may be affected in the exercise,” the officials said.
Town clerk Tendai Mahachi last week told Parliament that the city council was planning to cut its top management by 50%.
“We are also reducing at the bottom. For example, the sweeping staff in the CBD; that job can be done by mechanical sweepers and the equipment is yet to come,” he said.
Mahachi has for the past fortnight been at the centre of a storm after he allegedly refused to furnish councillors with the council’s executive payroll amid reports that the top 18 executives were earning a combined $500 000 per month.
Mahachi was reportedly getting $37 000, but he later told Parliament that his monthly earnings were around
$21 000.
Following his alleged refusal to disclose the salary schedule to council, Mahachi was suspended by mayor Bernard Manyenyeni, but the decision was immediately rescinded following a directive from Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo.
Contacted for comment yesterday, human resources committee chairperson Wellington Chikombo said: “I will be in a position to comment after deliberations and adoption by full council tomorrow (today).”
The council was also in the process of rationalising salaries and allowances for top management following Chombo’s directive that salary costs should be about 30% of total revenue at the most.
Council has also engaged external auditors to plug revenue leakages, among a host of other austerity measures meant to restore sanity at Town House.
COMMENTS
They really need do this or there wont be enough salary money for MDC-T perks.
They did this in ZESA, firing meter readers in Seki, telling consumers illegal prepaid meters are compulsory – shame they need money to steal if they are in charge they will fire everyone each time they need more loot – its about greed.
Serious crime Harare will confirm pre paid meters are optional,not compulsory.
This idiot Apolitical has got no limit to its stupidity. We know that you are a beneficiary of the Zanu Pf gravy train and a CIO operative. Are you not ashamed of your idiocy. All your contributions are completely off topic and nonsensical even your handlers are not amused . Your are a disgrace and an embarrassment to those you seek to represent.
CHINDUNDUMA I actually represent myself and all is fact, unfortunately truth does attract comment from those without thought or reason. Phone serious crime.
Topic is about looting, high salaries and perks stealing public funds – read again slowly you might get it. You of course will need minimum IQ to get there.
I give people the way to get truth and fact unlike you who just foam at the mouth with no information at all to offer.
There needs to be full disclosure of salaries and perks and people who wish to protect those thieves like you with nothing of substance to say were better keeping quiet.
Just because they are MDC-T doesn’t give them the right to loot.
Sounds like a good start, but get rid of those useless overpaid managers too.
It would be nice to first get rid of that idiot Chombo and his bøotlickers. Then re skill the workers who will be thrown into the unemployment line. They must be given a life line first and foremost because they are not to blame for councils woes.
Give credit where it is due its about time some of the rates revenue was spent on ratepayers and 70% by Chombo is better by far that the current councils zero. Don’t fire the cleaners fire councilors and senior staff.
Well said Chindunduma
chinduma actually said nothing you must be on the same drugs
Is this in line with zim asset?this firing of workers
Definitely.
start at the top; all those guys like Mahachi have been there since independence. paying themselves huge salaries and refusing to let even parliament or the mayor know how much they pay themselves. now they want to fire the workers, to protect their own unearned mega-salaries.
Thank goodness there is someone else on the right track.