‘No room for under-performance’

Post Reporter
GOVERNEMENT will not hesitate to fire under-performing civil servants whose actions are stalling the speedy implementation of the Zim-Asset economic blueprint.
Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs Cde Mandi Chimene, who met top civil servants at a no-holds-barred meeting in Mutare District last week, ordered them to closely monitor their subordinates to ensure effective and efficient service delivery.

Addressing heads of Government departments, parastatals and local authorities, she said Government would not hesitate to fire under-performing workers.
She said bureaucratic bungling, red tape and corruption were negatively affecting the implementation of Government economic development initiatives like Zim-Asset.

“You applied for these jobs and thus you should work in line with your contract of employment. We will not hesitate to fire those who are throwing spanners in the works. As Manicaland, we should effectively and efficiently service our people and ensure the success of Government’s development policies like the Zim-Asset. We need to closely monitor our subordinates because some of them are being paid for doing nothing. We need to set targets and time frameworks to measure how we are delivering to the communities,” she said.

Corruption, she said, was adversely affecting service delivery as only those with money were being attended to.
She also urged civic leaders to refrain from political bickering while exercising their duties.

“It doesn’t matter whether you were elected on a Zanu-PF or MDC-T ticket because what we want is service delivery. The people who voted you into power want results. I am directing this to all MDC-T councillors who are in here that they should toe my line because I am their leader in Government business. Our mandate is to ensure that the people are served well.”

She emphasised the need for unity of purpose, saying all stakeholders in the province must work as Team Manicaland in order to add value to the vast natural resources in the province.

Cde Chimene was briefed of challenges facing local authorities and other Government departments such as financial bottlenecks, obsolete capital equipment as well as defaulting ratepayers.