Govt launches skills audit at Harare City Council

The Government is set to conduct a comprehensive skills audit at the Harare City Council as part of efforts to address competency gaps and enhance the local authority's capacity.

The initiative follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Skills Audit and Development and the Harare City Council at Town House on Tuesday, formally launching the audit process.

Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume described the partnership as a critical step toward rebuilding the council's institutional effectiveness and improving service delivery. He emphasised that the programme will help ensure the workforce has the appropriate skills for their roles.

"We want to ensure that our workforce is skilled for the jobs that they do, and for us to be able to do this, we have to undertake this programme of auditing the skills that are there and see how we can improve the skill set. We will work with the government; we understand they are there to assist us in enhancing our workforce," Mafume said.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Skills Audit and Development, Ambassador Rudo Chitiga, indicated that the audit programme is expected to be extended to all local authorities nationwide, aiming to improve public service delivery across the country.

"We are sure that this will improve service delivery, and we hope that they will continue to upskill their workforce so that they have relevant skills for the work they do," Chitiga noted.

As the audit process unfolds, residents will be watching closely to see whether the council's commitments translate into tangible improvements in critical service areas.