Council hunts for new town clerk

MAHACH TENDAIMunicipal Reporter
HARARE City Council is hunting for a candidate to replace town clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi who has offered to leave council before the expiry of his term in December.

The city has resolved that human capital director Dr Cainos Chingombe, director health services Dr Prosper Chonzi and corporate services and housing director Mrs Josephine Ncube, be allowed to act as town clerk on a rotational basis for three months each with immediate effect.

Council sources said councillors were divided on who should take over between frontrunners Mrs Ncube and Dr Chingombe.

According to recent minutes of the Human Resources and General Purposes Committee, corporate services and housing director Mrs Ncube implored councillors to be cognisant of Section 137 (2) of the Urban Councils Act when making a decision in respect of the town clerk’s position.

She said council could rotate the acting position in respect of the town clerk as long as the provision of the Act was still in operation and it would be ultra vires the Councils Act, which says the chamber secretary should act.

However, during a full council meeting, chairperson of the committee, councillor Wellington Chikombo, said the city did not have a chamber secretary as Mrs Ncube’s position was changed to corporate services and housing director during the rationalisation exercise.

“Councillor Peter Moyo then proposed, seconded by councillor Wilton Janjazi, that in respect of the position of Grade 1, Mrs Ncube, Dr Chingombe and Dr Chonzi be allowed to act as town clerk on a rotational basis for three months each with immediate effect in that order,” reads part of the minutes.

Council noted that succession planning was a manpower strategy meant to identify, assess and develop talent in order to ensure leadership and managerial continuity.

Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni sent Dr Mahachi on indefinite forced leave last month for reportedly stalling the city’s succession plan and rationalisation of executive salaries among other issues.

Dr Mahachi, who was set to leave council at the end of the year, has decided to leave earlier and his lawyers have requested that the city work on a package for him.

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