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Pamela Shumba Senior Reporter
PLUMTREE Town Council has clarified the salary of its secretary Davies Dumezweni Luthe. There has been an outcry in the border town following revelations by government last week that Luthe’s reported salary of $17,000 gobbled one third of the total revenue collection of about $60,000 monthly. Plumtree Town Council chairman Paulos Vini Hobane visited the Chronicle newsroom with his top executives to explain themselves.

Hobane and his finance committee chair, Cornelius Nyathi, principal administrator Elvis Maphosa and town treasurer Joshua Nkomo concurring, said Luthe was actually earning a monthly total of $4,817.92 including allowances and not the stated $17,000.

“The recent reports from the Press regarding remuneration of the town secretary have been erroneously interpreted. The town secretary does not receive a salary and benefits to the tune of $17,027.00 as stated,” said Hobane.

“The fact of the matter is that the town secretary is remunerated as follows. Monthly basic salary $1,172.68 plus allowances $2,371.25 giving a gross monthly salary of $3,543.92.”

He said when non-cash monthly benefits of $1,274.00 were added on the gross salary, it gives a monthly total of $4,817.92.
According to the council’s salary and benefits schedule for the chief executive officer, a copy shown to Chronicle, Luthe is entitled to a school fees allowance of $7,896.00 annually, $616 for fuel and an annual bonus of $3,543.00.

Hobane said a cellphone allowance of $215 per month and the education allowance were part of his gross salary of $3,542.92.
He said $234.53 pension and $213.00 monthly medical aid monies were deducted from his gross salary and were not benefits.

“We gave these figures to government through the provincial administrator and it appears they added wrongly. Annual school fees and bonus were taken as monthly payments while deductions were regarded as allowances,” said Hobane.

“In fact, Luthe gets $57,815.00 per year which if divided by 12 months gives us the $4,817.92.”
The council said the report has grossly tainted the council image and residents were now hostile to officers and some vowing not to pay their bills.

“The impact is so huge and it will affect our revenue collection and reputation. It will also affect Luthe’s personal image and career,” said Maphosa.
The council officials said residents and other interested groups were free to visit council for clarification.

They said they have also sent a message of concern over the report to the government.
Residents reacted angrily to the report and accused council of corruption.