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Chombo approved salaries — Mahachi

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HARARE town clerk Tendai Mahachi yesterday told Parliament that salaries for top managers at Town House had been approved by Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo.

HARARE town clerk Tendai Mahachi yesterday told Parliament that salaries for top managers at Town House had been approved by Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo and councillor, dismissing claims by mayor Bernard Manyenyeni that councillors were not privy to the executive payroll.

MOSES MATENGA

Mahachi, who evaded most salary-related questions posed to him by members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government, also said he had complied with councillors’ directive to furnish the mayor with the executives’ salary schedule.

He said the salaries were agreed upon after a consultancy firm checked in the market and decided on how much they should get.

“After council approves it, it goes back to the minister who approves, so all processes were followed,” Mahachi said.

This was after committee chairperson Irene Zindi (Mutasa South MP) quizzed him on the secrecy surrounding the top managers’ salaries which are believed to be more than $500 000 for the 18 managers. Glen Norah MP Webster Maondera then ordered Mahachi to furnish the committee with documents to substantiate all his claims at its next meeting.

When Binga North MP Dubeko Prince Sibanda asked him if it was true that he had gone on regional trips on council tickets, Mahachi said: “My conscience is very clear. For your information, I have not gone on any regional or international trip simply because I knew the situation.”

He later gave MPs a salary schedule indicating that he was earning $21 000 inclusive of allowances.

Warren Park MP and former Harare mayor Elias Mudzuri grilled Mahachi to explain why council had decided to buy a $100 000 boat for the Morton Jaffray water project instead of settling for a cheaper one.

Mahachi replied: “The $100 000 boat was recommended because we looked at different issues and functions to carry heavy material and it had a radio system. It is a necessary expense.”

He denied reports that council officials had looted part of the $144 million water reticulation loan from China Eximbank.