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Minister Kasukuwere

Municipal Reporter
Harare City Council has endorsed the new salary structure approved by Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere that will see the town clerk earning $10 475, 75 inclusive of allowances.

Full council endorsed the decision on Thursday. Councillors want grades one to four to put it on paper that they agree to the new salaries to avoid litigation.

According to the recent minutes of the Human Resources and General Purposes Committee chaired by councillor Wellington Chikombo, acting town clerk Mrs Josephine Ncube told the committee that on August 4 this year, she received a letter from the ministry and discussed the matter with Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni and senior employees affected by the new salary structure.

“She would formalise her communication with the affected employees by way of a circular. She then reported that the Local Government Board had considered the issue of salary and benefits for the position of town clerk and that Minister Kasukuwere had approved a total package for town clerk.

“The Honourable Minister had set the salary benefits ratio at 60:40. The reviewed salary structure for the town clerk would be cascaded down to all senior managers. The new salary structure would be implemented with effect from August 2015,” read the minutes.

The new salary structure reduced the gross executive wage bill from $594 998, 93 to $335 182, 56 a month.

Mrs Ncube advised that she would submit a detailed report to the committee providing the breakdown of salaries and the composition of 40 percent benefits for senior employees in Grades 2 to 4.

During discussion, the committee requested that the acting town clerk provide a formula used to arrive at the town clerk’s package for future reference.

Council noted the new salary structure and the reduction of salary benefits which will result in two percent reduction of the monthly wage bill.

The Harare Municipal Workers Union hailed Government’s move saying it was done in good faith.