Staff reporter

Harare City Council war veterans Desk Chairman, Cde Erasmus Chingarande last week led 29 protestors in demonstration against Harare Mayor, Councillor Hebert Gomba over a litany of corrupt activities and mismanagement at the Town House.

Among the accusations labelled against Gomba and council management is the failure to remit monthly pensions to the Local Authority Pension Fund (LAPF).

The war veterans castigated council management for failure to pay workers who have gone for several months without salaries. The council workers, sources said, were last paid last year.

Former HCC volunteer workers who worked in council between 2014 and 2016 also joined the war veterans to protest against the unfulfilled promises the councils undertook. It is reported that the voluntary workers had been promised permanent employment once HCC start recruiting permanent workers. However, they were left out when the council employed general hands in March this year.

Harare Deputy Mayor, Enock Mupamaonde requested the protestors to submit their grievances to him for onward submission to the Mayor. He, however, told the voluntary workers that they had no right and power to petition council on any matter, adding that HCC Workers Union had the mandate to represent them on welfare issues. Moyo shot down the suggestion, alleging that the workers’ union has been corrupted by council management.

The demonstrators eventually handed over the petition to the Minister of State for Harare Metropolitan Province, Senator Oliver Chidawu. In the petition, the war veterans demanded the dismissal of all councillors, Mayor and Town Clerk, Hosiah Chisango.

They also complained about the failure by HCC to allocate workers residential stands to compensate salary arrears as agreed upon. The war vets also protested against the retirement of workers at 60 years yet the retirement age was reviewed up to 65 years.

The protestors held placards, calling for Mayor Gomba to stop corruption and stop holding workshops outside Harare.