Gweru commissioners gobble $67 000 in allowances

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THE three commissioners appointed by the Ministry of Local Government two months ago to administer Gweru City Council affairs after the suspension of all 18 councillors have already gobbled $67 071 in allowances, it has emerged.

THE three commissioners appointed by the Ministry of Local Government two months ago to administer Gweru City Council affairs after the suspension of all 18 councillors have already gobbled $67 071 in allowances, it has emerged.

by Stephen Chadenga

According to a schedule of payments made between August 19 and October 12 this year, commission chairperson Tsunga Mhangami and his colleagues, Mark Choga and Parenyi Chomunorwa, were paid a total of $67 071 in food, accommodation, transport, travel and subsistence allowances and fuel refunds.

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Ironically, the commissioners were at the forefront of blasting the suspended councillors and the council management, accusing them of bad corporate governance at the expense of service delivery.

At their appointment, the commissioners criticised the council’s huge wage bill, which they have since proposed to reduce drastically.

The payment schedule, seen by Southern Eye, reveals that on August 19, the commissioners were paid $3 060 in food, accommodation and transport allowances. Two days later, they were paid $300 in transport allowances before receiving another $4 126 for food, accommodation and transport on August 24 and 31. Part of the schedule reveals that on September 3, they were paid for food, accommodation and transport allowances amounting to $2 600 and on the same day, they received $6 652 again for food, accommodation and transport.

The following day and on September 7 and 9 the commissioners were paid $800, $10 156 and $4 126 respectively. Again on different dates between September and October 12, they were paid food, accommodation and transport allowances ranging between $2 586 and $9 936.

The three commissioners also received between $230 and $270 for travel and subsistence allowances to Harare in addition to fuel refunds of between $20 and $55 each. The total amount of allowances paid as at October 12 amounted to $67 071.

Both Mhangami and town clerk Daniel Matawu could not be reached for comment yesterday.