Online Reporter
Diana Nherera
Harare mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume said there is need to plan together with the human resources department to clear salary arrears.
This follows revelations by Mr Alexio Chingame, representing the city’s Human Resources director at a full council today, that the council had managed to pay the July ZiG component and is clearing the July Nostro depending on the availability of funds.
Speaking at a full council today, Cllr Mafume urged the finance department to attend to lower grades going up and issues around school fees.
“We need to be sensitive and catch up with our statutory and employment obligations so that people can work,” he said.
“The work that they do is life-threatening, as you have seen and therefore, we cannot continue to expect somebody to put their life on the line and we fail to pay them,” he said.
Cllr Mafume said he has cancelled most workshops.
“There were a number of workshops for employees that we asked the chair of HR to hold in abeyance,” he said.
Cllr Denford Ngadziore of Ward 16 asked if the blitz increased revenue inflows into the council’s coffers.
Acting finance director Mr Nhekarume said there has been a noticeable difference.
“When we started this operation, we noticed a difference and if we continue with the blitz, it would assist.
“We were confined to the city centre, and we want to roll out the programme to industries, as most of our debtors are commercial and industrial. If we go to the industrial arears, it might assist.”
Mr Nhekarume said there is a rented properties operation that they were undertaking before the blitz, which was overtaken by the new exercise.
