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Mayor's statements mischievous and malicious - Residents remain resolute on rates boycott
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
August 05, 2010

The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) has received with great shock the stance which the Mayor has taken with regards to salary cuts/reviews. Harare City Council Mayor, Mr. Muchadeyi Masunda, has put it to light that he will not engage in any process that will see the current hefty salaries to different workers in council being slashed. He argued that cutting workers salaries will result in high staff turn-over, thereby compromising service delivery.

CHRA has it on good grounds that some directors of council are earning close to $8,000 USD monthly. This is parallel to the current economic environment obtaining in the country. It is against this background that the Association sees the statements uttered by the Mayor as worrisome. Our cursory regional (SADC) comparison informs us on the need to review salaries and packages on a number of factors. What presses the pain further is that the Mayor's utterances seem to be allowing no room for negotiation and this can easily became detrimental to the growing relationship between residents and the Local Authority. Lately, (2009 analysis) Harare City Council has been operating on a budget proportion that has seen approximately 30-45% for service delivery while administration and personnel could gobble 55-70%.This in principle has been regarded as totally unacceptable by the Association and the Ministry has even issued a directive to the effect that 70% of the budget be for service delivery and 30% for administration and personnel.

Local authorities are not into profit making thereby any budget has to be sustained (in the light of current realities) by rates and tariffs, levies/charges payable by residents. Residents cannot sustain the Local Authority that continues to be top-heavy and whose budget is heavily skewed towards non service. Harare City Council should be responsible enough to handle rate-payers money and avoid off budget expenditure directed at funding fancy exotic lifestyles of individuals who are only after fattening their pockets without lending an ear to residents concerns on service delivery. CHRA reiterates its position on proper public finance management systems that are transparent, accountable and participatory. Blowing public funds on the account of curbing staff turn-over can be rendered as baseless and frivolous because as we speak, Harare City Council is an attractive green pasture, considering that government is paying the civil servants between $150-300 per month.

CHRA continues to stick to its strategic points which it shared with council in a bid to try and improve its expenditure framework. Amongst other points, CHRA recommended the launching of an independent Human resource audit which is transparent and independent. Harare City Council continues to lose thousands of dollars to ghost workers who still appear on the wage bill. To add to the former, the laying down of unnecessary staff is one tough decision the Local Authority has got to make because it has since bought equipment and machinery which can do most duties.

Should the Local Authority continue with its stance, CHRA remains resolute in engaging any other means at its disposal to force Harare City Council to prioritize 70% of its budget to service delivery. Rates boycott and litigation are some of these. CHRA remains committed to advocating for efficient and effective local Governance that is premised on accountability, transparency, and meaningful residents' participation. CHRA remains committed to efficient and effective local Governance that is premised on accountability, transparency, and meaningful residents' participation.

Visit the CHRA fact sheet

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