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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
COMPANIES contracted by Government for infrastructure development projects such as the ongoing Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) Phase Two should employ locals and desist from importation of unskilled labourers.
Government is implementing the ERRP to make the roads traffickable after rains damaged the road network in the past season.
Authorities said employment of locals creates a sense of ownership among local people as they would protect the infrastructure.
When employing unskilled labour, companies have also been urged to include women who play an important role in providing for families.
This emerged on Friday during the Transport and Infrastructural Development Deputy Minister Mike Madiro’s tour of works on Siyepambili Drive that is being rehabilitated under the (ERRP) Phase Two.
The deputy minister was accompanied by Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube.
During the tour, Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development officials revealed that they had sub-contracted the Central
Mechanical Equipment Department (CMED) to rehabilitate the road.
Officials from CMED told the ministers that they placed recruitment advertisement notices at local shops.
They said a third of unskilled employees were women.
However, Minister Ncube raised concern over the recruitment of unskilled personnel and women.
“Last time when we toured the same road, I didn’t see a single woman and I’m concerned because when it comes to feeding the children, taking care of the family, it is the women who have a big role. I’m concerned and we need to take note of that. In the past, we would see women singing, dancing for men. We want to share the cake; we just want to share the cake. We are part of the development process as women so let’s dance together, sing together and enjoy this cake together,” said Minister Ncube.
She said projects where locals are employed tend to be more sustainable when communities take ownership.
Bulawayo Provincial Development Co-ordinator Mr Paul Nyoni said he had to engage the CMED management after Minister Ncube raised concern over the recruitment process.
“The concern about local, if you put an advert at a local shop, nothing stops me from sending a WhatsApp to Mberengwa, to Gokwe to Binga inviting someone to come for recruitment. So, we then engaged CMED to say going forward let’s fine-tune our definition of local so that it addresses the issues being raised by our political leaders. Definitely after talking to the minister a few weeks back, I talked to CMED and we agreed on the way forward. Going forward, we want to be very clear about what local is. Local leadership decides what is local,” said Mr Nyoni.
In the past there have been concern over importation of unskilled labour by contracted companies.
Transport and Infrastructure Development Ministry officials said Government’s policy is that there should be gender parity in the recruitment of unskilled employees.
The officials also said in the Harare-Beitbridge Road, 40 percent of unskilled employees were women as they pushed to achieve a 50/50 recruitment parity.
Deputy Minister Madiro said in development projects, local communities must be employed for unskilled work.
“To have the right impact it’s important we recruit the locals through the right channels. We don’t do it arbitrarily but we engage the authorities who will ensure there is equity. Also, the question of gender balance needs to be addressed in the recruitment of unskilled people. It’s important that the people around have ownership of projects,” said Deputy Minister Madiro. — @nqotshili
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