Tinaye Agere
Zimpapers Politics Hub
The Harare City Council will engage the Local Government Board after the latter refused to endorse interviews conducted by the local authority for the vacant post of chamber secretary.
Public interviews for the post were held in March this year, with five candidates, acting chamber secretary Mr Warren Chiwawa, Ms Charity Maunga, Ms Alice Zeure, Mr Ernest Mushava and Ms Angeline Mudada vying for the post.
Following the preliminary interviews, Mr Chiwawa, Ms Maunga and Mr Mushava made it to the top three and were due to undergo the final selection process last week.
However, the LGB, stopped the processes, saying it was concerned by the composition of the panel that conducted the interviews.
In an interview after a full council meeting on Friday, Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume said the post of chamber secretary needs to be filled substantively to improve service delivery.
“If people are acting, it affects their work. This can lead to shoddy service and… it is residents that suffer.
“We did our interview processes in the full glare of the public. We are confident in the integrity of our processes. We will engage the LGB expeditiously and show them that the delays in employing key staff affect us,” he said.
Cllr Mafume said the LGB’s move was “surprising” as the board had previously approved the same interview processes that Harare had undertaken to recruit other senior executives.
“This is the same panel we used for the post of the water director, and they (LGB) confirmed the water director. This is also the panel that we used for the town clerk, and the town clerk was confirmed.
“So we are going to engage them and show them that the delays over employing key staff affect us,” he said.
Harare has been operating without a substantive chamber secretary since 2021.
LGB chairperson Mr Stephen Chakaipa referred questions to Mr Mafume.
Mr Chakaipa’s board was appointed in 2021 and its mandate is to oversee the selection of senior management in councils countrywide.
Online Reporter