Chombo under fire from Harare residents

LOCAL Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo has come under fire from Harare residents for pushing for the re-instatement of the city's Town Clerk, Dr Tendai Mahachi, who was last week suspended for three months for failing to provide the salary schedule for all senior council employees, the Herald reported.

The suspension was effected to pave way for investigations into the city council's financial management amid reports the city's 18 directors were gobbling over half a million dollars in salaries every month at a time service delivery has plummeted to levels where council fails to replace street light bulbs.

Minister Chombo on Saturday convened a Press conference where he ordered the immediate reinstatement of Dr Mahachi even as Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni dug in before being told the reinstatement was a ministerial directive.

Dr Mahachi's suspension had been welcomed by residents keen to know how much the city was committing to salaries and service delivery in light of shocking revelations that heads of some quasi-government institutions and State enterprises were taking home monthly salaries as high as $500 000 per month.

Harare Residents Trust director Mr Precious Shumba yesterday took a swipe at Minister Chombo for seeking to interfere with ongoing investigations.

"Minister Chombo must not play spoiler by interfering with lawful investigations being carried out by Harare residents through their elected representatives," he said.

Mr Shumba said Dr Mahachi's suspension was consistent with the Urban Councils Act Section 139 which gives the local authority the mandate to suspend the town clerk.

Combined Harare Residents Association programs manager, Mr Tendai Muchada said Minister Chombo was out of order by trying to suppress information that residents wanted to know.

"There is a standing Cabinet directive that instructs that local authorities must allocate 30 percent only toward administration and personnel while 70 percent goes to service delivery.

"However, the current budget allocates 48 percent to admin and personnel which is what councilors want to address then we have the Minister trying to interfere with that process.

"We cannot have $500 000 being allocated to salaries of 18 people. We are going to do everything legal to make sure the suspension stands so that investigations can be done. We have to nip corruption in the bud, so for that reason we expect the minister to play ball," said Mr Muchada.