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Innocent Ruwende Municipal Reporter

Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere (pictured right) has urged councillors to desist from corrupt activities and stop sitting on interview panels for junior staff.Speaking at the launch of the City of Harare’s first 100-day Rapid Results Approach on Thursday, Minister Kasukuwere said councillors should leave council officials to do their work.

“We have seen a developing trend where councillors sit in interview panels for junior people like clerks.“You know when a driver is being hired, there is a councillor here talking to him.“Councillors hire the town clerk, managers right at the top, directors to an extent, but they hire one person and thereafter the rest of the grades must superintendent,” said Minister Kasukuwere.

“We have a system where, around the country, councillors are descending on the shop floor to hire clerks, to hire accountants, to hire cleaners. No, we have integrity in the operation of our local authorities. Let us respect the hierarchy. Who should do what? Don’t end up stepping on each other’s toes.”

Minister Kasukuwere equated the situation to one where a minister interferes in the hiring of a clerk in a ministry.He said that should not be allowed to happen as normal processes which allow for heads of department to interview and submit their recommendations to their next level of authority must be followed.

He said his ministry was concerned with instances where councillors got involved in management issues.

“When I said allow management to do its work, I meant exactly that. I am reliably informed that overtime is a major cost driver in Harare and other municipalities and efforts should be made to deal with it. We cannot have employees not working during normal working hours yet are ready to tackle the tasks on weekends and public holidays,” he said.

He urged local authorities to reduce overtime and channel the funds towards service delivery.He said all critical processes and procedures must be aligned and synchronised with Government policies.

Meanwhile, in a speech read on his behalf by the senior principal director of public sector modernisation, performance management and state enterprises in the Office of the President and Cabinet Mr Solomon Mhlanga, deputy chief secretary Dr Ray Ndhlukula said Government was undertaking public sector reforms in conformity with the current thrust of accelerating the implementation of Zim-Asset.

“All the reforms that are being undertaken in Zimbabwe are underpinned by the Integrated Results Based Management system which was adopted by Government to ensure that policies and programmes are implemented based on a results-based framework and culture,” he said.He said the Rapid Results Approach seeks to jumpstart and fast track implementation of policies, programmes and projects.