Reference: Circular No. 12
To: All Mayors/Chairpersons
COUNCILLORS ALLOWANCES AND PERKS1. Background
The Honourable Minister has, in terms of Section 54 of the First Schedule of the Rural District Councils Act [Chapter 29:13] and Section 112 of the Urban Councils Act [Chapter 29:15], set out new allowances and perks for councillors which come into effect immediately.
As a result, Circular 12 dated 18 March 2020, is hereby repealed and replaced.
2. Allowances
Allowances to be paid to councillors are herein set as indicated in the table below:
Council Mayors and Chairpersons $90 per month
Council Deputy Mayors and Vice Chairpersons $82.50 per month
Chairpersons of Committees $78 per month
Councillors$75 per month
Town Clerks/Secretaries and Chief Executive Officers are to ensure that the allowances are paid as specified.
The payment of allowances will be subject to audit and any overpayment will be recovered.
The allowances will be pegged in United States Dollars (USD) payable in any currency within the multicurrency basket.
No other allowances are payable including sitting allowances.
3. Travel and Subsistence Allowances
In addition to a monthly allowance, councillors are entitled to travel and subsistence allowances for travel outside of Council area only.
The exception to this would be the payment of this allowance to Rural District councillors attending Council meetings because of the distances involved.
The rates are to be calculated at the current Government rates plus 50%.
No allowances other than those specified in the Treasury Circular may be paid, including “out of pocket allowance”.
Councilors are also entitled to an allowance, based on the distance travelled to facilitate their travel to Council meetings only.
The rate in calculated on the equivalent of one and a half litres of fuel for every ten (10 kilometers traveled from the Ward.
Councillors who are given council transport to attend meetings are not entitled to the allowance.
4. Perks-Stands
To facilitate serving Councilors to live in a dignified man, the Honourable Minister granted permission to a Councillor who does not have a residence within his/her ward to be a located a single residential stand in their life time, within that ward, on which to construct a house for him/herself.
The sand may be sold to the councilor at account of 40% of the normal land value.
The stand is to be offered to the councillor on a lease with no option to purchase with payments being made in equal monthly instalments and completed before the end of the term of office of the councillor.
Title Deeds may not be issued until the development of the home is complete.
The councillor may not sell the stand o cace the leases during hate term of offke.
The cost of servicing the stand shall be paid by the Cllr
Councillors are to be made to understand that the offer of a residential stand is a privilege and not an entitlement and is made with the desire to enable a councilor to live in a dignified manner.
The stand acquired in terms of this Circular is not for profit or aggrandizement
4.2 Commercial or Industrial stand
A Councillor is not entitled by right to a commercial or industrial stand.
Any councilor who wishes to acquire such a stand is required to follow normal Council procedures and meet all the requirements sat down by the Council
4.3 Minor Perks
The Minister has also permited councillors, who would want to benefit, to be granted free parking and a free grave during their tenure of office
4.4 Exit Packages
The Minister has approved that no exit package be paid to any councillor upon the completion of his/her of office.
5. Workshops, Seminars and Trainings
The Honourable Minister has maintained the restriction on holding of Workshops, seminars, trainings and similar events.
This includes “look and learn visits” outside of the Council jurisdiction in the case of Urban Councils and outside the administrative district in the case of Rural District Councils unless prior authority has been granted by the Permanent Secretary.
Any Council wishing to hold a function outside the limits given should make a submission to the Permanent Secretary in writing, requesting for authority.
6. Foreign Travel
All Councillors and Officials travelling outside Zimbabwe on official trips must be granted Cabinet Authority before departure.
Under no circumstances may a councilor or official travel without such permission.
Applications to seek authority to travel out of the country should be submitted to the Permanent Secretary in writing, at least fourteen (14) days in advance, giving justifications and the costs for same.
Allowances to be paid for foreign travel are as set by Treasury.
7. Implementation of this Circular
This Circular comes into effect immediately.
Any Circular that arbitrarily raised allowances without Ministerial approval or who awarded perks outside this Circular, should recover same forthwith.
Please note that by copy of this Circular, the Auditor General is requested to ensure that the payment of allowances and the granting of perks is audited to ensure compliance to this Circular.
Interpretation of this Circular rests with the Secretary for Local Government and Public Works and all previous Circulars on allowances and perks are hereby cancelled.
