Town clerks face dismissal for underperfomance

Underperforming senior local authorities' managers face the chop after the government introduced performance based contracts ensure efficient service delivery to rate payers.

The contracts have been introduced with immediate effect.

Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo yesterday said those who failed to meet requirements stipulated in the new contracts would be fired.

He said the contracts were modeled on the ideals of the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation, Zimbabwe (Zim Asset), which charts the developmental path for the country for the next five years.

According to a copy of the ministerial directive on performance contracts document, circulated to all the local 92 local authorities, The performance contract from the manager should clearly state his/her vision and mission among other set goals.

"As local authorities are a tier of Government, it is imperative that local governments and central government work in a harmonised manner. The direction for both tiers has been clearly enunciated in Zim Asset and local authorities are duly bound to comply with the targets set therein," read part of the circular.

It tasked Town Clerks/Secretaries/ Chief Executive Officer to ensure public offices were well managed and cost effective in delivering efficient and quality service to the public.

It is also set to guide the programmes and management priorities of the council for the budget year.

"We want a uniform salary structure in the local authorities so that the managers do not give each other unrealistic salaries. There should be a restriction to salaries to the capacity of each local authority and so that is the key," said Dr Chombo.

"The performance based contracts also value the work or commitment senior local authority managers will give the people.

"People must work for their money not the current situation were one would say that even if I don't work, I will still get my salary at the end of the month.

So from January this directive has been adopted and it is part of Zim Asset. This is all in the interest of service delivery; our people should not be short changed." he said.