FORMER Bulawayo deputy mayor Alderman Amen Mpofu has attacked Local Government, Public Works and National Housing minister Ignatius Chombo for interfering in MDC-T run municipalities.
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This came after Chombo reversed Harare mayor Bernard Manyenyeni’s decision to suspend town clerk Tendai Mahachi for insubordination over his refusal to avail the council’s executive salary schedule.
Chombo, notorious for interfering with the running of local authorities has often imposed some unpopular decisions on MDC-T-led councils and Mpofu said this was an abuse of office.
“At some point I remember Chombo pushing for council managers’ salaries to be made public.
“It is now a surprise that when the mayor of Harare demands the same and the town clerk is suspended for failure to comply, Chombo intervenes and blocks the process,” Mpofu said.
“I am really surprised why Chombo is always interested in awkward actions against local authorities like he is doing.”
He said the mayor had a right to suspend or fire council employees in accordance with the Urban Councils Act, but it was sad that Chombo did not consider that as long as the affected person was a Zanu PF sympathiser.
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Mpofu said this was the reason it was difficult to expose corruption in Zimbabwe. He said powerful State officials protected perpetrators to the deteriment of the economy and service delivery.
Mpofu also defended the Bulawayo City Council senior managers’ earnings saying they were among the lowest although the city was the second largest in the country.
“I was the chairperson of the management committee on salaries and staff welfare. Their salaries are far much less compared to other urban councils and there is no justification for people to complain that they demand hefty retirement packages,” he said.
Bulawayo City Council managers earn a fraction of what their Harare counterparts take home every month town clerk Middleton Nyoni being the highest earner at City Hall with a salary of $9 439, 19.
This is a far cry from his Harare counterpart Tendai Mahachi who pockets a reported $37 642 a month. Council directors and the chamber secretary each earn a monthly package of $8 404,50 per month.
