SUSPENDED City of Harare town clerk, Hosiah Chisango, is still receiving a whooping US$27 000 salary and other huge perks despite having an expired contract, it has emerged.
Councillors on Friday grilled human capital director, Bosman Matengarufu, during a full council meeting on why Chisango and other executives were still receiving huge perks in the face of collapsing service delivery.
Council’s housing committee chairperson, Blessing Muroyiwa, accused Matengarufu of dishonesty when he was asked about how much the local authority was losing in salaries and other perks to executives.
“My question to you is why is it that we have some people who are earning between US$15 000 to US$27 000 per month yet the council has no money for other services,” Muroyiwa asked.
Matengarufu alleged that reports of executives earning staggering salaries were not true, but failed to provide a pay schedule during the meeting.
“We have a group of councillors, who negotiate with the management team and what is being said about those salaries in not true,” he said in response.
Harare mayor Jacob Mafume accused Matengaruu of lying.
“l now have the pay schedule almost exactly as it was reported in the commission of inquiry honestly,” Mafume said.
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“How can anyone earn almost US$27 000, which can translate to US$270 000 in 10 months.”
Mafume said he had received the pay schedule and will submit it to a commission of inquiry to show how executives were milking the municipality.
A source at the Town House accused Matengarufu of dining with bigwigs at the local authority.
“Matengarufu is eating in the same plate with assistant to the town clerk Matthew Marara and Chisango because it boggles the mind why he would authorise the payment of someone, who is out of contract in the case of Chisango,” the source alleged.
The commission appointed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in May last year has concluded its investigations into the operations of the municipality.
It had been tasked with investigating reports of corruption and mismanagement within the local authority.
A report of its findings and recommendations will be submitted to Mnangagwa for action.
A number of witnesses exposed how council was losing millions in potential revenues through brazen corruption, mismanagement and leakages.
Appearing before the Justice Maphios Cheda-led commission, Matengaeeufu claimed that his life was in danger.
Matengarufu said his food was poisoned twice following his attempts to investigate and bring order to the beleaguered Harare City Council.
On one occasion, his office was broken into, and several important documents implicating some officials in transgressions went missing.
