The Chitungwiza Municipality’s financial woes are set to continue even if the local authority retrenches more workers, sources say.
Suspended Chitungwiza Workers Committee chairman, Ephraim Katsina, who is representing retrenched workers, says retrenchments will not address financial problems currently affecting the local authority.
Katsina says the municipality is yet to pay some of its workers it retrenched in 2012, while it has only managed to pay eight of the over 100 workers it retrenched early this year.
Last week Chitungwiza Mayor Philip Mutoti revealed that the satellite town plans to lay off hundreds of workers as it can no longer sustain the huge salary bill.
Mutoti blamed residents for failing to pay their bills resulting in the council failing to raise enough money for its day-today operations and salaries.
Studio 7 failed to reach Mayor Mutoti but Katsina says the council is also failing to pay those workers who have not yet been retrenched.
“Retrenched and suspended workers together with widows of former workers are always gathered at the council headquarters demanding what they are owed by the council. I think the council is making some uninformed decisions in retrenching workers. It should find a better of dealing with it,”said Katsina.