Harare City Council Faces Financial Crisis Due to Bloated Workforce

By Loyd Matare

A shocking revelation has emerged from the ongoing Commission of Inquiry into the operations of Harare City Council, exposing a financial crisis caused by an excessively large workforce. With over 10,000 employees, including numerous duplicate roles, the council is struggling to deliver basic services to residents.

Mathew Marara, Executive Assistant to the Town Clerk, admitted that the workforce is bloated.

“Even 300 is bloated. Yes, the percentage that goes towards salaries each month exceeds the limits that are prescribed by the government,” he said.

The finance department alone employs over 700 workers, despite the financial system being in shambles.

The situation is further complicated by allegations of bad governance and maladministration, with City Council officials and Councillors influencing recruitment and inflating the wage bill.

Marara explained, “What happens is when you come up with the structures for the organisation, departments recommend the number of personnel and type of personnel they require… It is the Council which authorises the structure which will be implemented”.

The council’s bloated workforce has resulted in absurd situations, such as having over 70 drivers responsible for refuse collection, with most of them idle due to a shortage of vehicles.

Marara emphasized that reducing the number of workers is the only solution, saying, “Council needs to undergo a restructuring exercise… Definitely, the numbers need to be reduced”.

Meanwhile, Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume has been accused of overstepping his boundaries, allegedly hand-picking an outside consultant to override acting successors to suspended Town Clerk Hosiah Chisango.

Marara revealed that Mafume’s actions have led to intense boardroom battles, paralyzing the city’s operations.

“You find the Mayor himself calling workers, low-level workers to his office, giving them directives, when it’s not supposed to be like that… The truth must be known by the world that this council, City of Harare, is not running things correctly”.