Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
GOVERNMENT employees have been challenged to be part of the country’s transformation and be relevant to the Second Republic’s vision for an upper middle-income economy by 2030.
Officiating at the 2019 Public Service Secretaries day here yesterday, Public Service Commission (PSC) deputy chairperson Ambassador Mary Margaret Muchada said it is no longer business as usual in Government.
“Executive assistants play a very strategic support role which also moves in line with a strategic management role. I want to urge you to focus on the current national development agenda thrust as you execute your duties. Business can no longer be done in a slow and time-wasting manner under the Second Republic. It’s time to move with technology and be able and willing to work anytime anywhere,” she said.
Ambassador Muchada challenged civil servants to be part of the Second Republic’s social transformation mantra by embracing essential skills such as psychology, teamwork, commitment, being a civil servant, reliability, confidentiality, strategic thinking, effective communication and commitment.
She said civil servants will be subjected to continuous capacity building so they are abreast with Government programmes.
Ambassador Muchada said Government is also working on an investment scheme targeting its employees to prepare them for better lifestyles after retirement from public office.
“We have agreed with Treasury that your pension contributions be invested for you so that when you go on pension you have something. If we invest properly, even your housing issues will not be a problem.
“There are a variety of non monetary benefits that you can derive once this is up and running. It’s not yet there but I can assure you that once it’s there, it will be a different public service altogether,” said Ambassador Muchada who was guest of honour.
Mr Elson Gonye, responsible for Head-Pay and Benefits Development and the person in charge of welfare issues for the civil servants concurred saying public office secretaries should change and be relevant to the Second Republic as the country nears the end of the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP).
He said the commission is working to forge partnerships that deliver affordable housing and transport solutions for civil servants.
“If you are not good, this is time to get good. When the President talks about transforming Zimbabwe into an industrialising and knowledge based upper middle-income country and society by the year 2030, he is directing all of us to change our habits and our pace.
“Zimbabwe cannot be transformed without Zimbabweans and public servants in particular adopting a transformative culture. Our civil service needs to work smart, adopting and leveraging new technologies to deliver results more rapidly, more efficiently and more cost effectively. It’s no longer business as usual in the Second Republic. The commission is positioning itself to effectively manage change in the civil service by maintaining clarity on ensuring the adoption and administration of a new culture blueprint while developing conditions of service that are conducive to effective delivery and retention of skills and that improve the asset base of public servants,” said Mr Gonye.
The secretaries’ day is an international day that was set aside in the 1950s to recognise the significance and value of the executive assistants in organisations. Zimbabwe inaugurated the celebrations in 2017 and there are concerns about few men taking up the profession.
Mrs Edna Mukwe, a principal executive assistant in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development was awarded with the long serving award after she joined government as a typist in 1982. — @ncubeleon
Online Reporter