Director takes council’s US$8 000 to sponsor family trip to Zanzibar

Trust Freddy

Herald Correspondent

Harare City Council’s housing director, Mr Addmore Nhekairo, has admitted to taking an US$8 000 trip to Zanzibar with his wife and three children, courtesy of taxpayers’ money.

This lavish vacation comes at a time when the city is struggling to procure basic necessities like toilet paper and pay junior workers’ salaries on time while the top brass is enjoying salaries of up to US$12 000 per month.

The startling revelations came to light when Mr Nhekairo appeared before the Retired Justice Maphios Cheda-led commission.

When asked by Justice Cheda if he had utilised his holiday perks for the past seven years he has been the housing director, Mr Nhekairo responded, “Once, Mr Chairman, with my wife, the one I am legally married to, and kids, I went to Zanzibar last year in December.”

He further revealed that he had not gone on holiday for the other six years due to a lack of funds, but was given US$7,500 in arrears, with an annual allowance of US$2,500 that was later reduced to US$2 000.

However, he revealed that he was still owed a holiday allowance for December, saying, “That’s what I’m still to receive, Chairman and it is about US$8 000 from the papers that I availed to finance.”

This comes amid revelations that the City’s eight directors are each entitled to local, regional, and international holiday trips, with up to three children and spouses, all at the expense of ratepayers, despite the council’s cash-strapped situation.

This includes visits to popular destinations such as Victoria Falls for local getaways, Mauritius for regional trips, and even luxurious Dubai for international vacations, with all expenses covered, including air tickets and accommodation at four star hotels.

During the ongoing commission, Matthew Marara, the City’s assistant director to the town clerk , disclosed that he had received over US$27 000 in holiday allowances alone for the 30-months he was on suspension.

Mr Marara said he was owed US$9 000 in local holiday allowances, calculated at US$3 000 per holiday for each of the three holidays he was entitled to from December 2020 to May 2023.

In addition, he also claimed US$18 000 in regional holiday allowances, calculated at US$6 000 per holiday, for the same period.

According to the latest evidence presented before the council, the City’s top brass can take up to five people, including themselves, on regional, local, and international trips, with economy flights and four-star hotel bookings reimbursed by the City Council upon presentation of receipts.