Details on BCC top officials outrageous perks emerge

BULAWAYO City Council (BCC)'s senior officials who last week made outrageous demands to the local authority did not want the perks as part of the retirement packages but wanted to start benefiting forthwith, it has since emerged.

The top officials have since attracted the wrath of residents who have questioned their priorities considering that the local authority is faced with cash flow constraints.

In the latest developments council's "executive group" has since demanded that as part of their monthly allowances they, among other benefits, be able to take their children to foreign schools and universities at the expense of the local authority.

The executive group comprises of the city's Town Clerk; Mr Christopher Dube, Chamber Secretary; Mrs Sikhangele Zhou, Finance Director; Mr Kimpton Ndimande, Engineering Services Director, Engineer Simela Dube and Human Resources Manager, Mr Makhosi Tshalebwa who, according to the council's restructuring scheme will be elevated to directorship position.

It also includes deputy and assistant directors.

Although council officials confiscated the confidential report containing the demands from councillors, Sunday News managed to get a copy which shows that the officials seek to see the number of children benefiting from the education facility increasing from the current two to three.

"The Adhoc negotiating committee agreed and recommended the adoption that serving members of the executive group be offered a surveyed and serviced piece of land (residential and commercial or industrial) at 25 percent of the value.

"The number of children covered by the education allowance policy be increased to three from two, the policy be extended to cover children from the Early Child Development stage, the policy also be extended to cover college and university education both local and outside the country and for college and university education outside the country, allowances be limited to the level of fees payable to local colleges and universities," reads part of the report.

The current policy on education allowances for the executive group re-imburses school fees to the tune of 50 percent of the invoice value up to $1 600 for two children at primary and secondary school level only.

Commenting on the matter, Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association programmes co-ordinator, Mr Roderick Fayayo blasted the local authority saying they needed to set their priorities right.

"The reason they kept this matter as confidential is because they knew that if it came out in the public domain they would get a backlash. These people should know that they are not there for self-enrichment but just to safeguard residents' monies.

"There are a lot of things which they can use that very money they want to squander for. Our roads need resurfacing, people need houses, among other projects. If they do all these projects, we would honestly have no problem with them awarding themselves all these perks because they would be deserving," said Mr Fayayo.

This is not the first time the local authority's executive group has been at the centre of the storm for wanting to award themselves unjustified perks and allowances, last year after the Government ordered the rationalisation of councils' salaries, senior officials sold their employer a dummy by giving a notion that they were cutting salaries while the Town Clerk, Mr Dube was instead negotiating with the top officials to see salaries of assistant directors reverting to the figures they were before the rationalisation order.

Directors and deputy directors as a means of covering for their "cut" salaries were awarded top of the range vehicles and fuel coupons of up to 250 litres per month.