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Christopher Zvobgo

Innocent Ruwende Municipal Reporter
TWO Harare City Council directors face the chop after the city decided not to renew their contracts while another acting director will not be confirmed.

Sources at Town House on Wednesday revealed that the Human Resources and General Purposes Committee sat on Tuesday evening and resolved that Harare Water director Eng Christopher Zvobgo and engineering services director Eng Phillip Pfukwa should leave council employment when their contracts expire in June.

The committee also decided that Acting Director of Housing and Community Services Retired Major Matthew Marara should not be confirmed.

The city in 2014 retired Eng Pfukwa and Eng Zvobgo but re-engaged them “for possessing critical skills”.

“The committee decided that the three will be relieved of their duties and it will soon advertise the posts. Council wants to replace the three with people from outside in line with Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni’s aspirations to change the face of council,” said the source.

During his State of Harare City address recently, Councillor Manyenyeni said council wanted “new pace, vigour and leadership commitment” to service delivery. “The replacement of the town clerk is also part of a very necessary overall leadership renewal process. In the next six or so months we will have renewed the face of council leadership by more than 50 percent of the team we found in place in 2013.

“As we thank all those who have served council we must find new pace, vigour and leadership commitment to service delivery,” he said.

Clr Manyenyeni has been accused of trying to rope in his cronies, allegations he vehemently denies. Human Resources and General Purposes Committee chairperson Clr Wellington Chikombo refused to shed light on the matter.

Harare City Council is also set to appoint banker Mr James Mushore to replace ousted town clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi who was retired last year. Mr Mushore is yet to be approved by the Local Government Board.

The city recently carried out controversial interviews, which included psychometric tests and it is reported that some of the city’s directors who applied for the job were not invited for interviews.

These include human capital director Dr Cainos Chingombe while Acting Town Clerk Mrs Josephine Ncube did not make it into the top five candidates.