Local Government, Rural and Urban Development minister Ignatius Chombo says councillors should rein in over-paid local authorities chief executive officers (CEOs), town clerks and other senior management.
In an interview with NewsDay on the sidelines of a function to unveil the 23 member National Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project advisory council in Bulawayo yesterday, Chombo said his ministry had communicated to local authorities to make salaries of senior management realistic.
We told them to make the salaries realistic and to be consistent with the ratepayers money, he said.
The situation where a CEO got two cars, two workers for their house, housing stands and school fees was paid for their children ended during the Zimbabwean dollar era.
Now you get your salary and plan around it. The incompetence of councillors is what makes the CEOs do as they want. Its just that I have no power to fire a CEO, but can only fire the elected councillors.
On Tuesday during a 2013 budget consultation meeting at the Small City Hall in Bulawayo, residents castigated the local authority over huge salaries of the councils heads of department. In defence, the citys mayor, Thaba Moyo, said the issue was before Cabinet, which would decide on whether to increase or decrease their remuneration.
Chombo said the incompetence and corruption in local authorities was worsening and he would be firing more councillors. [email protected]
