THE MDC-T-led Bulawayo local authority councillors have resolved to demand the salary schedule for executive managers in the wake of reports that their Harare counterparts were creaming it with hefty basic monthly pay and allowances.
NQOBILE BHEBHE CHIEF REPORTER
Council chief whip Collet Ndlovu said councillors held a caucus on Wednesday and resolved to formally request the salary schedule on Monday next week.
“We had a caucus on Wednesday where we discussed service delivery in the city,” said Ndlovu. “Residents are complaining on every front over issues ranging from potholes to uncollected refuse.
“However, the issues of salaries earned by management took centre stage.
“Councillors expressed deep concern about management pay and we resolved that the relevant committee will on Monday send a formal request to management seeking a salary schedule.
“We expect to get feedback next Wednesday.”
It was alleged this week that 18 Harare City Council managers were gobbling up close to $500 000 monthly.
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In recent years, top council managers awarded themselves controversial financial benefits that placed the local authority’s properties at risk of attachment for non-payment of debt.
Two years ago, Kingdom Bank threatened to attach Tower Block and Revenue Hall — two of Bulawayo’s municipal landmarks which house various council offices — after the local authority failed to repay a loan used to purchase luxury vehicles for managers.
Early last year, Bulawayo City Council (BCC) management proposed a controversial retirement package that sought to award top officials hefty exit packages.
Council has no policy on benefits for executives, with each retirement or termination being treated individually.
The retirement package is only implemented on executive members from Grade 13 to 16, who include the town clerk, chamber secretary, departmental directors and their deputies.
Some of the benefits top officials proposed for themselves included either a residential stand (4 000 square metres) or commercial stand industrial stand (2 000 square metres).
Those who would have served for 10 years were earmarked to get a month’s salary for every year served, while those with 11 to 15 years of service were to get one-and-a-half months’ salary for each year.
Those from 16 to 20 years of service were proposed to get two months’ salary for each year while for more than 20 years’ service the proposal was three months’ salary for each year.
They also sought to have loans awarded to managers to purchase top of-the-range vehicles written off upon retirement.
