News / Local
BCC understaffed
01 Dec 2012 at 20:49hrs | Views
THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) is reportedly operating on a deficit of over 1 400 in unfilled vacancies as the local authority is struggling to attract qualified personnel to fill the positions, a situation that is negatively affecting service delivery.
Speaking during the recent Mayoral Annual Review, the city's mayor, Councillor Thaba Moyo, said the city needs a total staff complement of 5 070 but was operating with an actual workforce of 3 616.
He said the most affected department was the health services where they managed to employ just 65 percent of the required intake.
"Also affecting our ability to efficiently deliver services is the staff complement which still remains critically low with a gap of 1 454 unfilled vacancies. By August 2012, council authorised staff establishment stood at 5 070, although the actual workforce is at 3 616 leaving a huge gap to be filled," said Clr Moyo.
The mayor noted that while this was having a negative impact on their overall service delivery endeavors, they were hard done by their financial position that did not allow them to attract the professional personnel and let alone be able to give them attractive salaries.
"We note, however, that while we need the adequate members of staff to fill these outstanding posts, these can only be achieved and guaranteed by a healthy financial status.
"Our low staffing levels affect the quality of services rendered to the citizens and other stakeholders who deserve quality municipal service," said the mayor.
He singled out the health services depart-ment as being the worst affected as they were losing a number of their experienced employees due to resignations, retirement and death. "There is need to improve staffing levels to ensure efficient service delivery and prevent staff burnout, while council may sincerely attempt to improve service delivery at local authority level, the ultimate large scale rehabilitation of the economy at national level is necessary," said Clr Moyo.
He said it was essential that the city develops other funding mechanisms, inclusive of looking for investment that will see them being able to raise funds that will see them afford to attract all the requisite professionals.
Meanwhile, the mayor has revealed that the freeze on new staff recruitment was still on and they would only consider lifting the freeze when they manage to address issues to do with wages and salaries.
"Right now we have a backlog of about a month in terms of paying our workers their salaries, therefore it will not make any financial sense for us to lift this freeze. We are struggling to pay our workers on time thus we wouldn't want to further burden ourselves.
"What must be understood is that we know the burden we are putting ourselves in as we cannot deliver 100 percent services but we simple have no choice because in the future we don't want to be criticised that we employed people we could not even pay on time," said Clr Moyo.
Speaking during the recent Mayoral Annual Review, the city's mayor, Councillor Thaba Moyo, said the city needs a total staff complement of 5 070 but was operating with an actual workforce of 3 616.
He said the most affected department was the health services where they managed to employ just 65 percent of the required intake.
"Also affecting our ability to efficiently deliver services is the staff complement which still remains critically low with a gap of 1 454 unfilled vacancies. By August 2012, council authorised staff establishment stood at 5 070, although the actual workforce is at 3 616 leaving a huge gap to be filled," said Clr Moyo.
The mayor noted that while this was having a negative impact on their overall service delivery endeavors, they were hard done by their financial position that did not allow them to attract the professional personnel and let alone be able to give them attractive salaries.
"We note, however, that while we need the adequate members of staff to fill these outstanding posts, these can only be achieved and guaranteed by a healthy financial status.
"Our low staffing levels affect the quality of services rendered to the citizens and other stakeholders who deserve quality municipal service," said the mayor.
He singled out the health services depart-ment as being the worst affected as they were losing a number of their experienced employees due to resignations, retirement and death. "There is need to improve staffing levels to ensure efficient service delivery and prevent staff burnout, while council may sincerely attempt to improve service delivery at local authority level, the ultimate large scale rehabilitation of the economy at national level is necessary," said Clr Moyo.
He said it was essential that the city develops other funding mechanisms, inclusive of looking for investment that will see them being able to raise funds that will see them afford to attract all the requisite professionals.
Meanwhile, the mayor has revealed that the freeze on new staff recruitment was still on and they would only consider lifting the freeze when they manage to address issues to do with wages and salaries.
"Right now we have a backlog of about a month in terms of paying our workers their salaries, therefore it will not make any financial sense for us to lift this freeze. We are struggling to pay our workers on time thus we wouldn't want to further burden ourselves.
"What must be understood is that we know the burden we are putting ourselves in as we cannot deliver 100 percent services but we simple have no choice because in the future we don't want to be criticised that we employed people we could not even pay on time," said Clr Moyo.
Source - SN
