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Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
NINE out Harare City Council’s 15 bosses are set to lose their jobs as the municipality downsizes its directorate.
This is part of a raft of wider measures to reduce expenditure and improve service delivery. Over 2 000 workers will also be gradually shed off from council’s employee establishment of nearly 10 000.
This was said by the city’s Director of Human Capital, Dr Cainos Chingombe, at a Press conference on Saturday following a meeting with Local, Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo, Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni and other senior council officials.
“We have reduced the top structure from 15 down to six directors and that excludes Harare Water, which is (a standalone) entity,” he said.
Dr Chingombe said the new structure would comprise the departments of Corporate Services, Finance, Health, Department of Human Resources and Public Safety and Works.
Collapsed departments include Housing and Community Services and that of the Chamber Secretary, which now form Corporate Services; while Engineering Services, Waste Management and Urban Planning will now fall under the Department of Works.
Dr Chombo said Government directed councils to downsize.
“This is an area of consensus between the ministry and councils as we seek to sustain a leaner establishment which is motivated and better paid and release more resources towards service delivery agenda and efficient administration of the city,” Dr Chombo said.
He said he would task his deputy, Mr Joel Biggie Matiza, to supervise implementation.
“I shall ask the deputy minister to avidly supervise the city with a team of officials including Udicorp (Urban Development Corporation) with the view to ascertaining the extent to which they embrace the thrust and scope of my address,” he said.
The salary of the Town Clerk, Dr Tendai Mahachi, whose suspension was rescinded by Dr Chombo, was reduced from US$37 642 to US$14 847; while some allowances he used to enjoy – such as entertainment, retention, school fees and holiday – were scrapped.
Dr Chombo urged city authorities to be open with the public about their earnings, saying: “I think the public is very much concerned with what you earn.
“They know what the President earns and know what I earn, so why should we not know what you earn? So anyone is bound to think that there is a real reason why you are hiding your earnings.”
The realignments are expected to go through formal council procedures for adoption.
Online Reporter