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Minister Kasukuwere

Municipal Reporter
Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere will engage Harare City Council over allegations officials are still earning mega salaries.

He is also set to engage Masvingo and Zvishavane where allegations of corruption have been levelled against councillors.

Sources said the ministry has completed studying the findings of the Harare audit report.

It is expected to act on it.

Minister Kasukuwere said the suspension of Acting Town Clerk Mrs Josephine Ncube and human capital director Dr Cainos Chingombe disrupted work at Town House.

Mrs Ncube’s suspension has since been lifted.

Yesterday Minister Kasukuwere confirmed he was set to engage the municipalities.

“We are almost through with the report and we will take necessary action in due course. We are also looking at Masvingo and Zvishavane councils,” he said.

Last week Minister Kasukuwere said council “jumped the gun” when it suspended Mrs Ncube.

“We carried out a special audit to assess the level of compliance by local authorities. My ministry did not carry out this exercise only in Harare, but in quite a number of local boards to assess the level of compliance.

“The City of Harare has jumped the gun. I, as Minister of Local Government, after the audit, will come to the HCC with the report, present it before all councillors and senior officials. They will go through all pertinent issues raised in the report and will give time to council to consider areas raised and, we will sit together as a ministry to map the way forward in terms of who gets to be suspended, fired and everything else that comes thereafter,” he said.

According to the audit, seven city’s executives continued to earn between $12 000 and $21 000 from October 2014 to June 2015 as opposed to $10 450 for the highest earner stipulated by the Government.

This, the report said, prejudiced the city of over $550 000.