Harare mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume has said the latest government salary schedules are a mockery adding that he was now one of the country’s lowest-paid workers.
Mafume made the remarks while reading the latest salary schedule for councillors at a full council meeting in the capital on Thursday last week, according to NewsDay.
The schedule stated that Mafume is now earning $198 000 (US$314.53) per month while his deputy is getting $127 000, committee chairpersons are getting $120 000 and councillors are getting $115 000. Mafume said:
The government said I am now earning almost $198 000, a salary equal to a Mwenezi council chairman, my deputy is earning $127 027,47 while committee chairpersons are earning $120 98,68 while councillors are the least paid workers, getting $115 000.
The government recently set US$150 as the minimum payable wage across all sectors saying it can be paid either in Zimbabwe dollars or foreign currency at the prevailing bank rate.
Mafume also announced that there would be a full council meeting on refuse collection. Mafuume said:
We are going to have a special full council meeting early next week on refuse collection. We don’t have enough refuse trucks.
Whenever I am walking on the streets, I am always asked when are we going to collect refuse. It is now a nightmare,” Mafume said.
Gold dealer and Harare ward 21 Councillor Scott Sakupwanya said he will provide “refuse trucks and that is why I won.”
The council has since suspended foreign trips for councillors and management to focus on service delivery.