Govt urged to retire redundant workers

Fortunate Gora Mash West Correspondent
Government should lay off redundant employees, Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs Minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka has said. Addressing heads of Government departments in Chinhoyi last week, Minister Mliswa-Chikoka said there were several portfolios that had become redundant in the civil service.

She emphasised that Government should retire employees who have reached the age of 65 to create employment opportunities for the young.

“There is really no need to pay people who were not performing any duties even in cases where resources were a limiting factor,” she said.

“In some cases, we have drivers, but there are no vehicles, so my question is why is this person being paid? What is he doing? There is nothing wrong with freezing such posts?”

Minister Mliswa-Chikoka said President Mnangagwa was aware of the need to retire civil servants who would have reached 65 years.

She also took a swipe at departmental heads who created unnecessary vacancies for their relatives and colleagues.

“We are all aware that our budget as Government is constrained and we cannot keep employing people simply because he or she is your relative,” she said.

Minister Mliswa-Chikoka said Government was different from corporates who could employ as many people as they wanted.

She urged the heads of Government in the province to submit their monthly reports or risk losing their jobs.

This, she said, had advantages of having some challenges affecting their departments responded to through her office.

“I want to give you a very good example, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education provincial head Mr Gabriel Mhumha visited my office complaining about the shortage of teachers in the province,” said Minister Mliswa-Chikoka.

“I quickly consulted the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Professor Paul Mavima, who heeded the call and I am sure that we can all testify that recruitment is going on as we are speaking.”

Mashonaland West province has a shortage of 2 938 teachers, with the bulk required in early childhood development classes.

Minister Mliswa-Chikoka convened the meeting to set the tone for Government programmes in Mashonaland West in 2019.