Kadoma in 7-month salary backlog

KADOMA Municipality is struggling to pay its employees and has accumulated a seven-month salary backlog over the past two years, it has been revealed. The council has about 410 employees. Investigations by The Herald have revealed that the municipality’s management and workers entered into an agreement sometime in 2016 compelling council to park a six-month salary backlog, while paying current salaries.

However, the municipality is already in a fresh backlog as it is yet to pay workers March salaries.

Kadoma town clerk Mr Malvern Dondo confirmed the arrears owed to workers when contacted for comment.

“In February, 2016, we parked a six month workers salary backlog as per an arrangement we made with employees,” he said.

“Since then we started focusing on current monthly payments which we had been paying religiously, but as of now council is a month behind, excluding the six months which we agreed to halt in 2016.”

Workers who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Herald that they were concerned that the situation could go back to the years when the employer failed to pay salaries.

“Council should honour its obligations from the previous arrangements and pay our salaries. If they fail to offset the debt now it can accumulate like what happened last time,” they said.