The council is also paying salaries to at least 40 top and
middle management employees, in addition to a host of junior employees, who are
on suspension for various reasons, with some having cases pending in the courts
for alleged corrupt activities.
The situation is made worse by that most the posts left by
the suspended employees have been filled on an acting capacity by others
drawing the same salaries and benefits with those at home.
This double payment of salaries and benefits could be
taking a huge toll on the management of revenue by the city council.
The effects of the salary bill is likely to manifest in
council struggling to provide basic services to residents like garbage
collection, water provision and neglect of burst sewer and water pipes.
A letter written by acting human capital director Mr Bozman
Matengarufu on Wednesday last week to the chairman of the Employment Council
for Harare Municipal Undertaking showed the city collected $5 billion revenue
between January and July this year.
Of this money, more than $2,5 billion went towards meeting
the wage bill. Mr Matengarufu indicated that the capacity of the city council
to collect revenue had been drastically diminished by Covid-19 as it had
projected a potential revenue of more than $15 billion within the seven months.
In January, the salary bill was 93 percent of the collected
revenue, 83 percent in February, 47 percent in March, 50 percent in April, 44
percent in May, 40 percent in June and 50 percent in July.
“For the period under review, the City of Harare only
managed to collect 32 percent or $5 billion out of a total potential revenue of
$15,4 billion,” said Mr Matengarufu. “Salary payments accounted for 50 percent
of the total revenue collected.”
Mr Matengarufu rejected a proposal for a salary increment
by the workers, arguing that the increase would result in the city council
incurring a budget deficit of $726 million.
“As shown above, the current wage bill consumes half of the
revenue collected, he said. “It is impractical to implement another increase
when the revenue has not been improved. It is critical to note that the council
is struggling to collect revenue during the Covid-19 period.
“As a result, the employer is unable to offer anything
until revenue collection improves. It is proposed that we meet every quarter to
assess our budgetary performance and that will guide any salary adjustments.”
Top city directors on suspension are Town Clerk Engineer
Hosiah Chisango, Mr Stanely Ndemera (finance director), Mr Addmore Nhekairo
(housing director), Engineer Zvenyika Chawatama (works director) and Charles
Kandemiri (chamber secretary).
Only health services director Dr Prosper Chonzi is
substantively in office. Herald
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