OWN CORRESPONDENT, Harare | Sunday 8.300pm.
A STRIKE by thousands of municipal workers over non-payment of their October salaries turned violent on its second day on Saturday.
On Friday workers found their pay had not been credited despite an announcement by a Harare city council spokesman on national radio that by Saturday they would be able to draw their salaries from their bank accounts.
The workers dumped garbage onto city centre roads, overturned city council cars and set at least one car on fire in the middle of a busy street, triggering massive traffic jams.
The city council apparently failed to pay its 15,000 workers as it plunged deeper into financial crisis just days after the government rescued it with a cash injection to solve a serious water crisis.
For the past two weeks many parts of Zimbabwe’s capital experienced a record water shortage blamed on the council’s failure to pay a contractor who was overhauling the pumping system.
The workers called for the removal of Executive Mayor Solomon Tawengwa, who was appointed by the ruling ZANU-PF party, accusing him and other local government officials of corruption.
“The council has failed and should be removed. Other councils were removed for less serious problems than what we are experiencing here today,” said workers’ union leader Kenneth Mutesva.
Helping fuel the workers’ and ratepayers’ fury was the fact that the council is building a new mayoral mansion at a cost of 36 million Zimbabwe dollars ($US1-million). — AFP