BREAKING

Mafume Sends Shockwave with $95 Monthly Salary Claim

By Loyd Matare

Amidst widespread outrage over poor service delivery and the lavish lifestyles of City of Harare top officials, Mayor Jacob Mafume has sent shockwaves throughout the nation with his revelation that he earns a relatively modest US$95 monthly salary structure, sparking demands for accountability.

Mafume’s statement comes amidst widespread outrage over the lavish salaries and perks enjoyed by top Harare City Council officials, despite the city’s dismal service delivery record. The town clerk of Harare, for instance, earns a whopping US$144,000 annually, plus benefits including housing, education, airtime, entertainment, and medical aid.

Taking to his X account Hopewell Chin’ono a Zimbabwean journalist cited that several Western leaders earn significantly lower salaries compared to councillors in Zimbabwe who are lavishing at the expense of rate payers.

“…The President of Portugal earns approximately US$108,400, while the President of Greece earns around US$113,520. Even the President of Finland, with a salary of US$141,367, earns less than Harare’s town clerk.

“Zimbabwe is being mismanaged and looted at every level of governance; it is a massive disaster. Residents walk on top of sewage and have no clean drinking water, yet the crooks at council are looting it ruthlessly,” Chin’ono said.

Meanwhile, another X user who replied to the story published by Afrogazette news @Just_In_Case_27 noted that Mathew Marara who was the Former city council Housing Director before he was arrested for abuse of office, manipulated his way into the Acting HR Director position, gaining access to HR files, which he used to destroy his resignation letter.

He added that Marara then demanded payment for the months he was absent, claiming he was on leave or suspension, and surprisingly, his claim was approved.

“This man, Rt Major Matthew Marara is not the Town Clerk of City of Harare. His position was 2 grades below the TC, he however acted for a little while the Housing Director position which is one below the TC. While in that position, he was involved in many land deal scandals that saw him getting arrested and spending some time in Remand Prison. Upon being released on bail’s, knowing that many charges were coming, he resigned from his employment at COH.

“Two years later, he connived with some Councillors to come back into his old position under the guise of not having resigned. Upon returning, he was catapulted into the position of Acting

HR Director, a position that gave him access to all HR files and enabled him to take back and destroy the letter of resignation he had submitted 2 years prior.

“Having returned, he demanded to be paid for all the months he had been out of work, claiming he was on leave. That claim was paid.

“It did not end there, after settling as Acting HR Director, he also connived with some other officials to create a non-existent position within Council, a position which made him de facto Deputy TC. He created lots of benefits for that position and started earning them, yet, such executive positions can only be filled with authority of the Ministry of Local Government, let alone the creation of Executive posts,” he said.

After being Grilled by Chin’ono that, “Where were the councillors when all this was happening?”

Mafume said, “We have made resolutions to reverse all this. In the last council we ordered that they revert to the status quo and that is why we acted against the Town clerk and all that happened under him. The 3 months I was out of office chaos reigned we are unscrambling the egg.

“We have since stopped that contract, it was done in my absence, I immediately attended to the reversing of those extortionist salaries

“I earn UD$95, see circular by minister, I eat from the floor…,” Mafume said.

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