Harare councillors clash with Mayor Masunda

Councillors do not want to renew contracts of some of the directors citing poor performance. However, some of the directors claim the councillors want to employ MDC-T sympathisers. They allege that some of the directors are drawing salaries and benefits without authority from the city because they do not have binding employment contracts.
The city fathers also want to know the amounts that each director takes home every month arguing they were the employers.
But Mr Masunda is not happy with some officials who leaked documents with information relating to the employment contracts of the senior functionaries.
“I do, however, take grave exception to telltale signs which clearly indicate that certain functionaries purloined copies of employment contracts of directors and furnished them to some councillors,” he said.
The matter of the directors’ contracts was discussed in committee during last Tuesday’s full council meeting.
Highly sensitive matters are discussed away from media glare and from the public.
Because of the sensitivity and the order against speaking to the Press councillors who spoke on what happened behind doors declined to be named.
“We gave him an ultimatum to furnish all councillors with details of the expiry of contracts. If they get paid, the payments would be illegal,” said one of the councillors.
Another councillor said council should be given the details of the contracts to expedite renewals and non renewals. Mr Masunda promised to spend the Easter holiday “separating wheat from chaff in order to fulfil my side of the bargain to the councillors to whom I am accountable”.
He said he met town clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi to discuss the issues raised by the councillors.
He said he would furnish the councillors with the information they wanted.
Last month, Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo met with the senior managers and councillors during the presentation of the city’s strategic plan.
Directors presented the activities that their departments would undertake this year with Minister Chombo advising that the city should only resolve to do those activities which it has ready funds for.