Harare City Council fails to pay salaries again

Harare City Council (HCC) workers have endured a second month without salaries, with no explanation as to why they are not getting paid.

Leslie Gwindi, Harare spokesperson, said: "I have not been informed anything to that effect, but I am sure it's not true that employees have not been paid."

He asked the Daily News to get in touch with him later, but was later unreachable.

According to the workers, the city council is yet to pay them their October and November salaries.

The Harare Residents Trust says it has it on good authority that the city council has an estimated 9 500 employees against known capacity of 7 000 employees.

The city is being haunted by bankruptcy and has struggled to meet demands of its day-to-day running. Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo's directive to cancel all bills for the last three years has also exacerbated the situation.

Harare was understood to be owed about $400 million before the debt cancellations.

The council was owed $5 million in unpaid water bills after cancellation of debts.

Workers say word going around was that September salaries would be paid end of this month.