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Innocent Ruwende Municipal Reporter
Harare City councillors are set to meet on Friday to discuss the way forward after Government rescinded the appointment of former NMBZ chief executive Mr James Mushore to the post of town clerk just a few hours after council announced his appointment.

Government says the local authority flouted procedures of appointment as laid out in the Urban Councils Act.

In a letter to the Mayor, Councillor Bernard Manyenyeni, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, said in terms of Section 132 (1) of the Urban Councils Act, a council may only appoint a town clerk after they have received an approved candidate from the Local Government Board.

He said the city council was expected to make a submission to the Local Government Board as specified in Section 132 (2) of the Act and may only appoint a person when the board had given its approval. Clr Manyenyeni yesterday said councillors would meet on Friday to discuss the way forward.

The city carried out interviews a fortnight ago, which included psychometric tests. It is reported that some of the city’s directors who applied for the job were not invited for interviews, among them human capital director Dr Cainos Chingombe.

According to the minutes of the Human Resources and General Purposes Committee councillor Wellington Chikombo outlined that Mr Mushore had emerged the winner with 142 points followed by Eng Jacob Mtisi (98) points and former diplomat Mr Godfrey Pasipanodya who managed 81 points.

The committee was of the view that they were empowered to appoint a town clerk, but Acting Town Clerk Dr Prosper Chonzi had advised that if the city appointed a person without first recommending three of the best candidates in order of their rating to the Local Government Board, it would be ultra vires to the Urban Councils Act.