News / National
Bulawayo set to hire 500 workers to fix City services!
1 hr ago |
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The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has announced plans to seek approval from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works to recruit 500 new workers to fill critical vacancies left by retirements, resignations, and deaths.
The move aims to address longstanding staffing gaps that have affected service delivery across the city, particularly in essential areas such as water supply, refuse collection, road maintenance, and healthcare services.
Council documents show that BCC currently has 1,456 vacancies out of an authorized establishment of 4,690 positions. If approved, the recruitment drive will prioritize key departments, with Water and Sanitation, Housing and Community Services, and Health Services each receiving 85 new employees. Other departments will also benefit: Works (77), Chamber Secretary (63), Financial Services (56), Town Planning (21), Human Capital (20), Town Clerk's Office (5), and Internal Audit and Risk Management Services (3).
"The Human Capital Director reported on 23 January 2026 that council had an authorized establishment of 4,690, currently with a total of 1,456 vacancies as at December 2025. Authority was sought to apply to the parent Ministry to fill 500 critical vacancies and positions left vacant through natural attrition," reads the report.
BCC said all positions have been budgeted for in the 2026 municipal budget, and the recruitment will focus on areas where staff shortages have most affected service delivery.
The city's ability to hire has been limited in recent years due to government freezes on recruitment, a policy first introduced in 2010, which forced councils to operate below optimal staffing levels.
Once permission is granted, BCC will outline recruitment modalities and timelines in line with government guidelines, in a bid to restore efficiency and improve services for Bulawayo residents.
The move aims to address longstanding staffing gaps that have affected service delivery across the city, particularly in essential areas such as water supply, refuse collection, road maintenance, and healthcare services.
Council documents show that BCC currently has 1,456 vacancies out of an authorized establishment of 4,690 positions. If approved, the recruitment drive will prioritize key departments, with Water and Sanitation, Housing and Community Services, and Health Services each receiving 85 new employees. Other departments will also benefit: Works (77), Chamber Secretary (63), Financial Services (56), Town Planning (21), Human Capital (20), Town Clerk's Office (5), and Internal Audit and Risk Management Services (3).
"The Human Capital Director reported on 23 January 2026 that council had an authorized establishment of 4,690, currently with a total of 1,456 vacancies as at December 2025. Authority was sought to apply to the parent Ministry to fill 500 critical vacancies and positions left vacant through natural attrition," reads the report.
BCC said all positions have been budgeted for in the 2026 municipal budget, and the recruitment will focus on areas where staff shortages have most affected service delivery.
The city's ability to hire has been limited in recent years due to government freezes on recruitment, a policy first introduced in 2010, which forced councils to operate below optimal staffing levels.
Once permission is granted, BCC will outline recruitment modalities and timelines in line with government guidelines, in a bid to restore efficiency and improve services for Bulawayo residents.
Source - Sunday News
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