Harare City Council has decided to stop filling vacant positions until a semblance of service delivery is realised in the city. Interviews for positions in Grades 16 to 4 have been stopped across council, pending review of council policy on recruitment and filling of vacant positions. But the filling of vacant top posts will continue, with management concerned that the decision by council may demotivate employees in the lower grades.
Human capital director Dr Cainos Chingombe told council that the resolution was affecting employees.
“Arising from the discussion on the lateral transfer of an employee of the general stores of the Beatrice Road Infectious Diseases Hospital to the Pest Control Section of the City Health Services Department outlined elsewhere in the minutes, the committee expressed the view that the above resolution could unfairly affect some employees who merited appointment onto vacant higher positions,” read minutes of the Human Resources and General Purposes Committee.
“The requirement affects some employees who merited appointment onto vacant higher positions and enquired what management had done since the above resolution.”
Dr Chingombe advised council that from the Ease of Doing Business concept adopted by council, service delivery work units and employees had been put into clusters where their performance was monitored.
He said the decentralisation of service delivery was also meant to improve service delivery and accountability among supervisors and operative staff.
“During further discussion, the committee requested that Dr Chingombe come up with a skills development programme intended to make employees competent,” read the minutes.
“It further requested submission of a report on the measures to improve employee productivity.”