Government Raises Mayors' And Councillors' Monthly Allowance
The Government of Zimbabwe has increased the monthly allowances for mayors and councillors across the country. Mayors have seen their monthly allowance increase from US$ 47 per month to US$90 per month.
According to Circular No. 12 issued on September 26, 2024, by the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, July Moyo, the new allowance structure is as follows:
- Mayors and Council Chairpersons will now receive US$90 per month, up from the previous US$47.
- Deputy Mayors and Vice-Chairpersons will receive US$82.50 per month.
- Chairpersons of Committees will receive US$78 per month.
- Councillors will now receive US$75 per month.
The circular further states that although the allowances are pegged in United States Dollars, they are payable in any currency within the country’s multi-currency basket. Reads the circular in part:
Town Clerks/Secretaries and Chief Executive Officers are to ensure that the allowances are paid as specified.
The payment of allowances will be subject to audit and any overpayment will be recovered. The allowances will be pegged in United States Dollars (USD) payable in any currency within the multicurrency basket. No other allowances are payable including sitting allowances.
In addition to a monthly allowance, councillors are entitled to travel and subsistence allowances for travel outside of Council area only.
The exception to this would be the payment of this allowance to Rural District councillors attending Council meetings because of the distances involved. The rates are to be calculated at the current Government rates plus 50%.
No allowances other than those specified in the Treasury Circular may be paid, including “out-of-pocket allowance”.
Commenting on the development, Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart said that only payments made to mayors and councillors beyond the allowances gazetted by the Minister are per diem allowances when they travel to authorised meetings or workshops. Coltart posted on X:
It is important for the public to know that for those Councillors who are not corrupt – and there are many of them across the country – this is all they get.
In my case, as a Mayor of a city of just under a million people, with a budget of some US$308 million next year, I will now receive a total of US$90 per month.
The only payments above that are per diems when I travel to authorised meetings or workshops on
City of Bulawayo business.Some may not believe that this is the case but it is true. For many of us serving our local communities is simply a labour of love.
The former Mayor of Harare, Bernard Manyenyeni, argued that the US$90 monthly allowance being provided to mayors is inadequate. He wrote on Facebook:
For a proper Mayor doing a proper job, fully committed mayoral job to the eight-days-a-week calling, this USD 90 monthly pay will not even cover his phone bill.
In my time at Council ZOL had to rescue my phone bill from embarrassing disconnecting – they took up mayoral phone bill. Starlink is $100 per month
For Councillors, in high-density suburbs in particular, this pay will be swallowed by community begging – helping with food, medicines, funerals, kombi. All aspiring Cllrs must be means-tested
They must show the financial capacity to look after themselves first – from whatever honest means they can declare.
Those with financial means to do civic work can not and will not readily avail themselves to the political brutality of elected municipal service.
We get what we deserve!
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