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Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
Harare City Council is set to appoint a substantive town clerk next week, with council authorising the Human Resources and General Purposes Committee to proceed interviewing the 11 shortlisted candidates vying for the coveted position.

During a full council meeting on Monday, Human Resources and General Purposes Committee chairperson Councillor Wellington Chikombo told councillors that the city has gone for a long time without a substantive town clerk, hence the need to urgently fill the void.

“You might be aware that this issue has been placed under the office of the Mayor but with deliberations that I had with him I think everything is pointing to the effect that we can resume to appoint the town clerk,” he said.

“With the indulgence of this council I want to ask your worship (acting Mayor Herbert Gomba) that this council gives us a mandate to do the interviews as early as next week and by Wednesday we should have appointed a town clerk.”

He said the interviewing panel was waiting for councils’ nod to proceed and thereafter it would choose the best candidate from the shortlisted persons and recommend the appointment to full council meeting for adoption.

He said as a matter of procedure, the list will be sent to the Local Government Board for ratification.

“I am saying by next week, Wednesday if it needs be (appointment of town clerk). I understand it is possible because there must be a way for us to do that. Permission will be granted to the panel to go ahead to do the interviews. I appreciate very much and I understand exasperation by the councillor and that is shared by the whole council,” Clr Chikombo said.

“It is something that is maddening to the current acting town clerk just to act without understanding what is going to take place. He needs to be fully told what is going to happen.”

Clr Chikombo was responding to Clr Panganai Charumbira who had inquired why the appointment of a substantive town clerk was taking too long.