Council managers cry sabotage
While the recent upgrading of sub-district councils to full council status has resulted in the promotion of some people, new challenges have emerged, with council managers accusing their superiors at the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development of dragging their feet to appoint their deputies.
A total of 22 sub-district councils were recently elevated to full council status and new ones created, bringing the total number of all districts in Botswana to 28.
Although this development has been hailed as a step in the right direction for service delivery, a fresh challenge emerged this week, with departmental managers complaining of increased workload because of the ministry’s failure to have deputy council secretaries and other line managers appointed to service the new councils.
The managers also said while the promotions of some people to the post of council secretary was a welcome development, the absence of deputy council secretaries meant that some people may find themselves stagnant in their current positions without any hope for progression.
Those interviewed said their pleas to have this anomaly rectified have in the past fallen on authorities’ deaf ears. For example, they argue that while the elevation of some people to the new position(s) of council secretary should necessarily have meant the promotion of others to feel their previous positions, this has not been the case as a good number of posts remain unfilled at the new councils.
Worse, where such positions were filled, outsiders were favoured over insiders who have a proven work record, they said. They added the development was contributing to low morale and frustration in the work place.
An example is the new deputy council secretaries at Hukuntsi and Tlokweng councils who were pulled from the National Assembly in Gaborone.
“This development is worrisome as some competent officers have been on the same scale for over 10 years. One wonders if this is a motion of no confidence on council managers! In some instances people were hired with no candidate interviews held, this cannot be good for service delivery,” said a manager at one of the councils.
When contacted for comment, Permanent Secretary at Local Government and Rural Development, Samma Tabudi-Motlhagodi said her office was not aware of the complaints from the councils.
“The ministry is not aware of such queries, but if indeed such queries exist, they have not been brought to the attention of the authorities. Besides, there are set internal processes of addressing work-related queries,” she said.
When addressing Parliament last year, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Kgotla Autlwetse said the upgrading of sub districts and creation of new ones was intended to transform the present Local Government system into a citizen-centred one which is responsive, responsible, and accountable.