Service delivery compromised by many acting officials

SERVICE delivery in Harare has been hampered by failure to fill vacant posts that has seen the local authority operating with only one full-time director out of a possible eight.

Consequently, acting mayor Stewart Mtizwa last week wrote to the newly appointed Local Government Board to speed up the process of finalising the hiring and firing some of the council directors.

Health director Prosper Chonzi is the only substantive full-time director.

The city is currently running without a substantive town clerk, no directors of housing, water, works, human resources, and finance, among others after they were fired or suspended.

Most of the suspended directors are facing criminal abuse of office charges before the courts.

Mtizwa said there were too many acting officials in the council, making decision making difficult.

"We are operating on too many acting positions. It's not sustainable for a metropolis like Harare," Mtizwa said.

"I have written to the Local Government Board to speed up the processes and they have to communicate on all the cases before them so that we move on."

The Local Government Board, responsible for approving executive appointments, was recently appointed by the Local Government minister July Moyo.

Housing director Admore Nhekairo, human resources director Cainos Chingombe, finance director Stanley Ndemera among others all have pending criminal cases before the courts.

The city is also operating with a depleted council after several recalls of councillors linked to the MDC Alliance.

Former mayor Herbert Gomba was recalled while his replacement Jacob Mafume was suspended.

They both have cases before the courts.