Residents want experienced and qualified town clerk ·

Harare Resident Trust has demanded that the prospective Town Clerk in Harare City Council should 'have at least a degree and at least 10 years experience in a senior management position. Experience in local Government is ideal but not a requirement.'

"Reviewing the advertisement flighted by the Harare City Council in various newspapers one is left wondering if there is someone being prepared for this position, or that the Mayor and the people working with him have already identified their kind of 'professional' because in reality the running of the Capital City requires someone who is knowledgeable, well-trained, and with the ability to outmaneuver the political traps scattered along the way," said the trust.

The trust said the prospective Town Clerk works with politicians elected from the two Major Political players Zanu PF (8 councillors) and the MDC-T (36), because these Councillors are politicians driven to pursue their personal agendas, as well as pursuing their political parties' agendas.

"At the same time, the majority of the heads of departments, and senior management of council in Grades 2, 3 and 4 are largely people who have strong links to the patronage system in existence in our local government system," said the trust.

"The professionalism the advertisement speaks to cannot survive without the intellect and wisdom to handle the dynamic institution called Harare City Council."

The HRT has said it observed that council employees, especially the Public Relations Department and others in the Housing Department, are busy canvassing for certain people to occupy this position of Town Clerk, and are reportedly busy providing information to the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing who are reportedly trying to push their own individuals to be imposed on the City of Harare.

"We reject the involvement of council employees in manipulating the process, and creating animosity towards the Mayor, who is apparently not allowing them to know what is happening. Everyone heading a department thinks they can become the Town Clerk," said the trust.

"The HRT demands more transparency and accountability in the recruitment of the new Town Clerk and strongly believes that the current process is being simplified to accommodate certain people."

The HRT said it believes that the person to occupy that position must be in possession of; 10 years plus working experience in a senior management position, have a proven track record of enhancing systems of accountability and transparency in previous position, and traceable achievements in negotiations, a Masters Degree, plus two years old, a social scientist, and not a businessman. The City of Harare is not a business entity meant for profit making, and the person must be an implementer, and not an academic, the person must be dedicated to observance of human rights, shunning corruption and not an introvert, being able to interact with the City's stakeholders and most preferably an outsider, and not any one of the current heads of departments in Council who have been unable to achieve much in their current positions.