The Chronicle

BULAWAYO, Monday, May 17, 1993 — The Bulawayo City Council is losing qualified personnel to the private sector because of Government restrictions which prevent council from paying its staff competitive salaries.

This was said by the Mayor, Clr Israel Gadhlula, when he addressed residents of Ward 25 in Nketa 7 yesterday.

Clr Gadhlula said council was capable of paying its staff, particularly engineers, salaries that are comparable to those being paid by the private sector. However, because of Government legislation, the council had to pay salaries which are below the private sector rates.

Consequently, Clr Gadhlula said council was losing qualified engineers to the private sector. He noted that for the council’s engineering department to operate efficiently, at least 15 engineers were required but at the moment there were only five.

Addressing the same meeting, the secretary of the Bulawayo Urban Residents’ Association, Mr George Ndlovu, expressed doubts over the mayor’s assertion that council has money to pay its professional staff competitive salaries.

Mr Ndlovu said for council to afford paying competitive salaries it meant residents had to pay more in rates, a move he said would cause problems for the majority of residents who were already struggling to make ends meet.