HERALD

GOVERNMENT is working on appointing a special team to help administer Marondera Municipality and restore sanity at the local authority following reports that the MDC-T led council was firing workers aligned to Zanu-PF and replacing them with MDC-T sympathisers.




Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo said on Wednesday that the names of the members of the team were yet to be made public as consultations were still in progress.

"We said no to that. No one should wear any political regalia at the workplace," said Minister Chombo.

According to reports, council workers who are not "favourites" of the councillors have not been paid for over six months.

The councillors also reportedly converted a council ambulance into a kombi to ferry them to and from meetings.

Minister Chombo said his visit to Marondera followed complaints by residents and employees of council who alleged they were victimised along party political lines.

He said workers were also not happy because only known MDC-T sympathisers were being allowed to wear party regalia during working hours. Minister Chombo said allegations were that workers were being hired on the recommendation of councillors, resulting in ill-qualified people getting into demanding jobs that required special skills.

The councillors are always at council offices bellowing directives to officials and making it difficult for them to work independently.

Residents complained that council was repossessing their stands on allegations of failure to develop.

Other complaints were that council was paying fines for public violence for MDC-T activists.

"We stopped council from paying a bill of US$9 800. The lawyer had come to collect the funds and we said no to that kind of abuse of public funds," he said.

"We reversed all the wrong decisions that the council had implemented. The ambulance is expected back on the road soon while all residents with residential stands should be allowed time to build. We all know the country was in economic difficulties," he said.

He said all parties were given an opportunity to express themselves.

Marondera-Hwedza Senator Cde Sydney Sekeramayi and Provincial Governor Cde Aenius Chigwedere attended the meeting. He said only 30 percent of the council revenue should go towards salaries and gave the council up to 15 April to devise a payment plan for the workers who have not been paid for six months.

Chairman of the workers committee, Mr Tobias Munyanduki, said problems on the payment of workers started when the new council told residents that they would not pay for water and other rates for six months.