The
move
comes
after
the
completion
of
the
Justice
Maphios
Cheda
Commission
of
Inquiry
in
June.
The
commission,
appointed
by
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa,
was
mandated
to
investigate
the
capital’s
financial
and
administrative
operations
amid
growing
allegations
of
corruption
and
mismanagement.
During
his
testimony
before
the
commission,
Harare
Mayor
Jacob
Mafume
revealed
that
the
city’s
executives
were
collectively
earning
around
US$500,000
every
month.
He
said
the
Town
Clerk
was
taking
home
an
estimated
US$27,000
monthly,
while
the
lowest-paid
executive
earned
about
US$15,000.
The
executives
also
received
a
range
of
perks
such
as
entertainment
allowances,
school
fees
payments,
and
clothing
benefits.
A
senior
council
official
familiar
with
the
recent
salary
review
told
the Zimbabwe
Independent that
the
cuts,
averaging
20%,
were
implemented
in
September
without
any
prior
notice
to
the
affected
executives.
Said
the
unnamed
official:
“In
September,
salaries
for
top
executives
were
reduced
by
20%
without
their
knowledge.
Most
senior
managers
were
surprised
to
see
the
cut
on
their
payslips.“From
what
we
now
understand,
this
was
directed
by
the
ministry
to
contain
rising
expenditures
and
channel
resources
towards
service
delivery.”
Under
the
Local
Government
and
Public
Works
Ministry’s
resource
management
framework,
councils
must
cap
salaries
at
30%
of
monthly
revenue,
with
the
remainder
for
service
delivery.
However,
many
local
authorities
routinely
exceed
this
limit,
prioritising
salaries
over
essential
services
like
water,
waste
management,
and
roads.
The
Zimbabwe
Independent
confirmed
that
affected
officials
include
directors,
deputy
directors,
the
chamber
secretary,
and
the
Town
Clerk.
Acting
Town
Clerk
Phakamile
Mabhena-Moyo
said
he
had
not
yet
received
full
details
of
the
cuts.