By Correspondent
In 2024 the Ministry of Local Government, under the Rural District Councils Act and Section 11 of the Urban Councils Act, introduced new allowances and benefits for councillors.
Under the new scheme, mayors and council chairpersons receive US$90 per month.
Deputy mayors and vice chairpersons receive US$82.50, committee chairpersons receive US$78, and councillors earn US$75 per month.
In addition to these allowances, councillors are entitled to travel and subsistence allowances for trips outside their council areas.
Trick of Allowances
However, various allowances hidden in the intricate system mean that the Mayor and Cllrs ultimately have some avenues through which they can get more.
For the executive its more serious as revelaed during the Harare Commission of Inquiry.
The Town Clerk is reported to earn US$30 000 per month while his Assistant Matthew Marara gets US$15 000.
Per month the Harare top executives collectively earn around US$500 000.
Below we reproduce some of the figures earned by other regional and international holders of the same offices.
London (UK)
The Mayor and the 25 London Assembly Members receive an annual salary and, on retirement, a pension.
Under the law, the Mayor and Members set their own levels of pay, resettlement grant and pension benefits.
The Mayor’s annual salary is £160,976, around (US$201 000) and US$16 750 per month.
The salary of an Assembly Member is currently £62,761 per year (US$78 000).
For the Statutory Deputy Mayor it is £111,669 (US$140 000) and the Chair of the Assembly which is £75,266 (US$94 000).
The Mayor’s and Assembly Members’ salaries are published on their profile pages together with the details of expenses and taxable benefits they receive.
Johannesburg (South Africa)
After the 2024 increment by 3% the Johannesburg Mayor annually receives R1.54 million (US$85 000).
Regular councillors get just under R580,000 (US$31 000) per year.
The salary of the mayor of Cape Town, South Africa, was pegged at R1,546,392 per year for the 2024 financial year.
It translates to around US$84 000 per year on the current official exchange rates.
That makes it around US$7 000 per month.
This is for grade 6 on the salary scale for mayors, speakers, and councillors in South Africa.
Botswana
The country has 603 councillors of which 113 are nominated.
Each nominated councilor earns a combined annual salary of P78, 933, 168. 00 (US$5700).
In 2024 they were projected to get a combined gratuity of P9, 866, 646, 00 (US$650).
Lusaka (Zambia)
In 2024 the Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema was reported to be getting a basic annual salary and allowances of around K712 000.
It translated to around US$25 000.
Thus, Harare Town Clerk Hosiah Chisango earns more than the Zambian leader at US$27 000 per month.
The Zambian government in 2024 increased monthly allowances for mayors, council chairpersons and councillors to K3,000 (US$106) across the board.
Cllrs also get K600 (US$21) subsistence allowances, transport reimbursements and seating allowances.
