Rusape Fire Truck Attached, Over 90 Workers Sue Council For 14 Months Salary Arrears

By Shingirai Vambe

Rusape, a small farming town in Zimbabwe, is facing numerous challenges that threaten the effectiveness of its local authority, the Rusape Town Council (RTC). The council is currently dealing with several court cases, many of which are legitimate charges that have raised concerns about the town’s governance.

One of the most alarming cases involves the Sheriff attaching the council’s service vehicle and fire tender due to the procedural dismissal of employees. This has not only hindered the council’s ability to provide essential services but also raised questions about its commitment to upholding labor laws.

Furthermore, workers at the council have reported not receiving their salaries for months, a situation also affecting employees at the Makoni Rural District Council (MRDC). This has led to widespread outrage and frustration among workers, who are struggling to make ends meet.

Local authorities claim that the government and parent ministry are exerting immense pressure, which is beyond their means. However, it has been revealed that local authorities have been generating significant revenue from the sale of stands and servicing, which has been misappropriated, leaving workers to bear the brunt of the council’s financial mismanagement.

The situation in Rusape highlights the challenges facing many local authorities in Zimbabwe, including corruption, mismanagement, and a lack of accountability. The ordinary citizens are suffering the most, and urgent reform is needed to restore the integrity and effectiveness of local governance in Rusape.

To make matters worse, top administration officials are allegedly pampering themselves with vacant land in Rusape, while workers are struggling to survive. Unconfirmed reports also claim that the illegally reinstated RTC Secretary, Solomon Gabaza, is receiving a monthly back pay to cover his previous dues amounting to US $200,000, which has cost the residents valuable developmental funds.

The parent ministry, local board, and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission have failed to respond to questions regarding the RTC and MRDC, further exacerbating the situation the Ministry is accused of forcing councils to attend various events and workshops, ZILGA and UCAZ subscriptions when the workers are wallowing in hunger.

Contacted for comment, RTC Chairperson, Councilor Chifomboti’s mobile was not reachable. earlier, Chifomboti told this publication that their powers as councilors have been stripped off by the ministry and can no longer ask or play oversight on administrative  issues at council.

“we have been stripped off of all the powers vested in councilors, during the just ended meeting in Nyanga, we were told that some of the issues we were handling as councilors were not our forte by the Ministry representatives who were at the Strategic Planning meeting in Nyanga,” said Chifomboti.