Troubled Chitungwiza City Council has gone for 49 months without paying its workers their full salaries, Zim Morning Post can exclusively reveal.
The startling revelations were made by Ephraim Katsina who is the Workers Union leader.
“It is a pity that we have gone for 49 months without getting our salaries in full, and the other months we have gone without anything or we are paid our salaries in half,” revealed Katsina.
The council also owes former employees an amount reaching to a staggering $4 million and this is stated in a council report.
However, a source within the council revealed that directors have been getting their salaries and allowances in full.
“Directors have been
getting their salaries , allowances and other benefits entitled to us in full.
“ It is just unfortunate that the council is not able to raise money to pay junior employees,” said one insider who refused to be named.
A recent council report
revealed that the council owes $16 million to the current workers and $4
million to former workers.
“The balance of salary arrears stood at $28 843 892 of this $16 854 762 is for current employees, all former employees are owed a total of 4 634 762,” read part of the report.
In previous incidents of
similar nature, Chitungwiza once resorted to pay salaries owed to employees by
giving them residential stands and leasing council beer halls.
The beer halls were mostly taken by powerful Zanu PF politicians in the dormitory town.
Efforts to get a comment from Chitungwiza were hectic as officials referred this reporter to office and the other.
The town clerk George Makunde referred us to the Finance Director.
“Is it fine if I refer
you to the relevant office, if it is ok let me give you the contact number of
our finance director,” said Makunde.
The finance director Evangelista Machona could not comment as she was on a tour in Victoria Falls and referred all questions to the human resources manager Mary Mukonyora.
Mukonyora poured cold water on the allegations and dismissed them as hogwash.
She could not shed more details arguing that she was being attended to by a doctor.
“It is a lie that we
have not been paying our workers for 49 months but I cannot give you more
details now can you call me later,” said Mukonyora.
