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Prosper Ndlovu Senior Reporter
CIVIL servants in Matabeleland North province yesterday urged the Government to expedite the completion of Government offices and construction of their houses in Lupane, saying they were unable to operate efficiently while based in Bulawayo.They said this during the provincial development committee meeting at Mhlahlandlela Government Complex in Bulawayo where heads of all Government departments in Matabeleland North welcomed their new Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Cde Cain Mathema.
Presenting the vision and challenges of the civil servants in the province, Lupane District Administrator Mr Christopher Chuma who was representing the Provincial Administrator Ms Latiso Dlamini said Government workers were unable to relocate to the provincial capital, Lupane, as they have nowhere to stay.
They also do not have offices to operate from.
“Minister Mathema, the development of Lupane Town is a major challenge for us. A lot of projects that are there are incomplete. Lupane State University (LSU) and the Government offices are almost complete but there is no water and electricity,” said Mr Chuma.
“The biggest challenge is accommodation and civil servants are not able to relocate to Lupane. As it is there are only 20 civil servants houses under construction, which do not have running water and electricity.
“We suggest that Government constructs flats, which can accommodate many people. The Registrar General’s Office building for instance, has been completed and its workers alone require 32 houses to relocate to Lupane.
“We cannot continue conducting our operations in another province and this needs urgent attention.”
A majority of heads of Government departments operate from Bulawayo because of lack of accommodation in the town.
Mr Chuma also reported that a majority of heads of Government department, especially district administrators, did not have vehicles, which made it difficult for them to conduct their duties fully.
He said local authorities in the province were struggling to pay their workers on time due to limited revenue inflows compared to high salary perks set by their unions.
Mr Chuma urged the Government to set modalities that would ensure that local authorities receive a bigger share from natural resources that are being exploited in their areas.
He said most civil servants in Matabeleland North remained loyal to Government at the height of the economic meltdown and continued to operate under challenging circumstances to date.
In his response Cde Mathema pledged to engage the relevant ministries to ensure that funding was availed to speed up the development of Lupane.
He said civil servants were the engine behind implementation of Government programmes and underscored the importance of improving their welfare and conditions of service.
“As a Government we have a duty to attract and retain skilled professionals by creating good working conditions and salaries. The President has also been talking about that for some time.
“I was in Lupane on Monday last week and realised that it is the duty of all of us to turn Lupane into a modern and attractive provincial capital,” said Cde Mathema.
“I will engage relevant ministries to avail accommodation for civil servants quickly. This is an urgent issue. Let us work as a team and let everyone do his or her job fully. I will take all your concerns up.”
Cde Mathema also said he does not have accommodation in the provincial capital as the house which he is supposed to use, previously built for the Governor, was yet to be connected with water and electricity.
He said as a result he would be forced to drive from his home in Tsholotsho to Lupane twice per week covering about 120km on a partly tarred Sipepa-Lupane Road.
Cde Mathema said for the remaining three days he would be operating from Bulawayo.
He urged civil servants to be patient while the Government addressed their concerns and pledged to ensure that those without vehicles would be given some.
Cde Mathema urged the civil servants to work hard and align their programmes with the ruling Zanu-PF manifesto to ensure fulfillment of the promises that President Mugabe made to the electorate.
He condemned tribalism and corruption and urged the civil servants in the province to always conduct themselves in a professional manner.
Cde Mathema also took the opportunity to explain the role of his ministry and his dreams about developing the province.
He said he was open to engage everyone and assist any department in pursuit of sound progress.
During the question and answer session Mr Chuma reported that the Civil Service Commission (CSC) has advised that Government heads of departments would now be assessed according to targets set in the President’s promises to the electorate.
The civil servants also discussed how they would want to work to ensure that there was a change in service delivery to the masses within 100 days after the establishment of a new Zanu-PF Government following the party’s resounding victory in the 31 July elections.
Online Reporter