Gwanda Municipality workers on strike

Municipality of Gwanda workers are as of this morning, Monday on an industrial action over unpaid salaries.

The workers did not report to their respective duty stations but are gathered at the Municipality main offices milling around the main office yards with some singing and waiving placards. The workers are demanding immediate payment of their salaries which have not been paid by council since December last year. Among other grievances that the workers are putting across to council is the issue of staff welfare in as far as accommodation of council workers is concerned.

According to Mr Sipho Ndlovu the Workers Union Chairman, the workers were last paid their full salaries in December 2013 and they are now failing to meet their day to day sustenance. Ndlovu also indicates that the workers are up in arms over being sidelined by council when council issues out council houses preferring to issue houses to their preferred people either corruptly or on political bases.



The strike comes hot in the heels of reports that the Town Clerk of Gwanda Mr Gilbert Mlilo is the second highest paid Municipal officer in the country after Harare Town Clerk. Mr Mlilo who ends his term as Gwanda Town Clerk in May has been earning a salary of about $21000 a month. Minister of Local Government Ignatious Chombo has since dispatched an investigative team from his Ministry to investigate the issue of Gwanda Salaries.



One of the posters being displayed by the workers read "Akusihlephunele mbijana ndoda wadla wedwa nje" which means spare a little piece for us Mr Man a direct message to the Town Clerk. Another poster reads "Asihlali ezihlahleni njengenyoni Asidli izibungu" meaning we don't stay on trees and feed on worms like birds clearly explaining the anger of the workers.

Comment could not be got from the Mayor nor the Town Clerk who were said to be in an urgent Finance Committee meeting in the council chambers.