Council worker strips naked over salary

A SHURUGWI council worker allegedly ran berserk and stripped naked in the council’s secretary office demanding his salary plus back pay.
The bizarre incident occurred on Tuesday when Prosper Manguni, who is employed as a street cleaner at Shurugwi Town Council, stripped naked in the council offices after the local authority failed to pay him his   $1 500 in outstanding salary dating back to March.

A council worker who spoke on condition of anonymity alleged that a heated argument arose in the secretary’s office over the matter.

“Soon after the administration meeting where we were discussing  when the council would pay what they owed us, Manguni went straight into the secretary’s office demanding to see the council’s treasurer so that he would have his money.

“That is when he stripped naked saying he was not leaving the office without his money,” said the worker.
“Manguni complained that he had no food at his house. The secretary gave him a $10 note and said his salary issues would be reviewed next Monday.”

Shurugwi Town Council workers have gone for nearly five months without salaries amid reports that the local authority purchased two Ford Ranger vehicles for senior officials as well as 19 laptops for the management and councillors.

However, chairman of the Town Council Mr Tsungai Makore dismissed the allegations as mere speculation.
“Like any other organisation, we are having financial constraints and we have delayed in paying our employees.

“I did not receive any report regarding that matter and people saying that are maybe trying in any way to sabotage us and make us look like we cannot deal properly with these issues,” he said.

This comes barely two months after another employee attempted to commit suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling in the director of finance’s office demanding close to $4 000 he was owed by the local authority.

The employee, Solomon Nzapu, attempted to commit suicide in the local authority’s  offices after the director refused to give him money he was owed by council in medical bills as well as salary arrears back-dated to March.