Former Harare mayor Muchadeyi Masunda has hinted he is interested in taking up the post of town clerk for the capital following the recent unceremonial departure of Tendai Mahachi.
BY MOSES MATENGA
Asked what kind of a person he thought should take the hot seat at Town House, Masunda said the position needed a technocrat and “top-notch” manager who would not succumb to pressure from politicians.
“Things are in such a mess that there is need to approach technocrats to help sort out the messy situation in ministries, local authorities and other institutions. There are people like me who would not mind to sacrifice five years of our lives to sort out this mess,” Masunda said.
He said Harare, the second largest business enterprise after government, needed a “well-rounded” town clerk.
“The position requires an individual of unquestionable integrity. He or she should not pander to the whims of either the mayor, councillors, government ministers or political parties,” Masunda said.
The former mayor said the city was now faced with power outages, water shortages and potholes on the roads because of some “jokers” who were once at town house who focused on issues not “remotely connected” to service delivery.
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“We have placed undue emphasis on politics. We just have to step back and do serious introspection and say let’s harness literacy levels into action and get results,” Masunda said.
He said politicians should stop politicising civic issues and ensure people wake up to get water running from their taps, a reliable public transport system and driving on pothole-free roads.
Several people who spoke to The Standard said they would advocate for a technocrat to fill the post of town clerk. They said political appointees with allegiances to parties were responsible for the current mess bedevilling the city.
Mahachi was perceived to be a loyalist of former Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo and this meant that most decisions made at Town House were for the benefit of Zanu PF.
The MDC-T — in charge of Harare by virtue of having the majority of councillors — also wants a technocrat and respected person to run the affairs of the city.
“The new town clerk must be a seasoned and capable technocrat with impeccable credentials. That is the person who will be able to take Harare out of the current rot. We expect the new town clerk to be able to rise above petty political considerations and prejudices,” MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu said.
Gutu said the town clerk should have a record of success, and should also possess cutting edge administrative skills. Combined Harare Residents’ Association chairman Simbarashe Moyo said residents needed a non-political actor — preferably someone outside of council.
“It can be someone from outside who can do a job expected by city fathers. We don’t want a repeat of the Mahachi era, or continuation of the Mahachi administration, especially on payment of hefty salaries and other corrupt tendencies,” Moyo said.
“We expect our city fathers to do a thorough job so that we don’t get someone brought in from political [circles].”
He said councillors should also not employ weak people who they can order around.
Analyst Blessing Vava said: “I think there should be a clear job description stipulating exactly the parameters of the candidate to fill in such an important position so that whoever is appointed is guided by a code of conduct that will not allow any abuse of office.”
“The sad part is the political interference by the minister, which has, however, led to the abuse of office by successive town clerks in Harare. It is not necessarily about the individual, but the process that leads to the recruitment. The process should be transparent, open and professional,” Vava added.
Council’s Human resources committee chairman Wellington Chikombo refused to say what kind of town clerk they would expect to replace Mahachi. He said making a comment on the subject would pre-empt the advert which was yet to be placed in newspapers.
Research has shown that for one to be town clerk of a metropolis like Harare or Bulawayo, one needed a good law degree, but all this changed when politicians started forwarding their “foot soldiers” to the posts.
