Staff Reporter

The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC)-led Gweru City Council has failed to pay its workers their December 2023 salaries, leaving employees reeling in debt and failing to pay school fees for their children.

A source who spoke to this publication said that only a small fraction of the Gweru City Council employees received half their salaries in December, leaving the rest to face a gloomy festive season.

According to the source, those who received their salaries in December were known members of the CCC.

“We are yet to receive our salaries, and this is causing us to fail to pay fees for our children. Now we are in January, and we haven't been paid our December salaries and bonuses. Schools have reopened, and we have children who need school fees, school uniforms, and financial maintenance. We also need to be paid so that we can meet other obligations like rentals as well,” said the source.

Additionally, the source remarked that some of the Gweru employees were now resorting to corruption and bribery for survival.

“We have no option but to resort to other unorthodox means to raise funds so that we can survive. Corruption is now rife in Gweru because the employees want to survive. The council should just pay us to curb corruption within the city,” said the source.

The source added that the newly elected CCC councillors who dominate the Gweru City Council were only concerned with amassing wealth and were not concerned with workers’ welfare.

The same source added that the non-payment of salaries was also affecting service delivery in the city as employees were not effectively discharging their duties.

Efforts to get a comment from Gweru City Council Public Relations Officer, Vimbai Chingwaramuse were futile as her mobile phone was not available.