adminBlessings Chidakwa in Kadoma
Government wants heads of all district councils across Mashonaland West to roll out regular refresher courses for their employees amid complaints of sour relations between their workers and residents.
Addressing Government’s district heads, council officials and traditional leaders from Mhondoro-Ngezi District on Monday this week, Provincial Affairs Minister for Mashonaland West Mary Mliswa-Chikoka said her office was seized with matters of poor customer care among civil servants.
She called for urgent attitude reforms among Government employees in the province saying there will be no sacred cows in wielding the axe on unrepentant workers.
“The customer is king. Government departments have for long been accused of bad relations with customers, that should change. Let us diligently serve our customers.
“Days for relaxing are over (and) it is time to deliver. We will have no choice but to make a bold decision to fire incompetent personnel. 2019 is a year of building and coordinating relations,” she said.
Minister Mliswa-Chikoka said district heads must have working plans while conducting weekly reviews with their subordinates.
“Always be in touch with your subordinates, sometimes the problems are at grass root level, but when it backfires it is the heads that are answerable.
“Every Monday do briefings and debriefings on Friday measuring progress. What you can measure you can manage,” she said.
She castigated underhand dealings being reported in the Agritex Department across the province.
“Reports of abuse of office by Agritex officials are on the rise, people are paying for Command Agriculture inputs. There is a lot of confusion in the area.”
Minister Mliswa-Chikoka also took a swipe at Ministry of Women Affairs, Community Small and Medium Enterprise Development saying they still had a mountain to climb in comparison with results from other departments in Mhondoro-Ngezi district.
She reiterated that devolution was fast becoming a reality calling the district team to avoid being caught off guard.
“Devolution is coming so let us be prepared and play our roles in the proper channels. We must raise our provincial Gross Domestic Product and the ball is in our court. It is us that can make Mashonaland West the best province in the country.”
Minister Mliswa-Chikoka is currently on a provincial tour to meet various Government departmental heads at district level setting the tone for work in 2019.
Online Reporter