New city chief must clean up all the mess

MUTARE City Council which is trying to put its house in order and improve service delivery must create a conducive environment to ensure that the new faces coming to the Civic Centre to work, do so with minimum hindrance.

For more than a decade now, residents and ratepayers in the eastern border city have been on the receiving end of a run-down service delivery system, punctuated by poor sanitation facilities, water shortages and potholed roads.

The recent appointment of a substantive Town Clerk and Chamber Secretary at the local authority is set to usher in a new dispensation and people are hopeful that things will change for the better.

However, the unfolding labour dispute between the local authority and some of its former managers including ex-Town Clerk Mr Obert Muzawazi is bad for business if the issues are not resolved quickly.

We are told that the new Town Clerk Mr Joshua Maligwa is supposed to start work on April 3 next month.

He is supposed to come and stay at the same house Mr Obert Muzawazi is currently living in.

Council has since written a letter to Mr Muzawazi telling him to vacate the council property but interestingly he wants the same house as part of his exit package.

What is clear is that Mr Maligwa is likely to start work before council resolves this issue which is now at the labour courts.

If Mr Maligwa reports for duty and has nowhere to stay what it means is that the municipality will be forced to book him in an expensive hotel suite which meets the standards expected of a Town Clerk.

This then means that the local authority which is currently facing serious financial bottlenecks will be forced to fork out more money to cover the bills.

He might stay longer and bills will balloon to unimaginable proportions.

These expenses can be avoided if our city fathers commit themselves to solve a litany of labour disputes that will cost the local author- ity dearly.

Since the case is now before the courts, it is best that the city fathers abide by the determination of the labour court, pay Mr Muzawazi his dues and wave good bye.

By so doing council will accord Mr Maligwa the chance to work without the ghost of the former Town Clerk haunting him.

We are told that the never ending labour disputes at the Civic Centre, especially those involving sacked top managers, are taking long because of some councillors who are letting their emotions derail fair process.

We understand that some councillors who did not have good working relations with suspended managers were making their feelings known by unnecessarily blocking payment of severance packages.

Labour experts know that labour disputes are costly if they are not handled properly and professionally. We urge the local authority to seek professional legal advice when dealing with labour matters and not for councillors to vent their personal angers on employees.

Such cases will back fire and cost ratepayers dearly when the labour court directs the municipality to pay employees who would have been unfairly dismissed.

As the new chief executive officer who has a responsibility of guiding all council operations as well as advising councillors on matters at hand, we urge Mr Maligwa to instil a culture of professionalism that is long gone at the Civic Centre.

He should whip his employees in line and re- orient them on their respective roles so that they serve the people of Mutare well. The free-for-all situation obtaining at council should be halted.

It is best for the new Town Clerk to first have a deep understanding of how the city works because Mutare has special needs which are different from Rusape where he used to work.

Mr Maligwa should exchange notes with the acting town clerk and appreciate how the affairs of the council were run. With the vital information at hand, he must then roll out his blue print and express his managerial skills.

Mutareans deserve better service.