Source: Government tightens oversight on council recruitment processes – herald
Vusumuzi Dube, Deputy Radar Editor
THE Ministry of Local Government and Public Works will now play an active role in the recruitment of senior council employees, following serious concerns about the caliber, skills, and competencies of officials occupying key positions within local authorities.
This development comes in the wake of three senior officials from Hurungwe Rural District Council (RDC) being sentenced to a combined 174 years in prison after the High Court convicted them of defrauding the local authority of more than US$65 000 intended for critical infrastructure projects.
In a circular sent to all town clerks, secretaries, chief executive officers, and board secretaries, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr John Bhasera, outlined the concerns and issued guidelines that local authorities must follow when recruiting senior council officials.
These guidelines are designed to strengthen transparency, fairness, and professionalism in recruitment, with the aim of building capable leadership that can deliver on development goals.
According to the ministry, achieving the country’s National Vision 2030 depends on placing the right individuals in the right roles to drive improvements in service delivery and uplift community livelihoods.
“The National Vision 2030 can only be achieved when the right people are in the right positions to drive processes aimed at improving service delivery and the livelihoods of their communities.
“To this end, it is imperative that we strive to ensure compliance with procedures and guidelines on selection and recruitment as outlined in Ministerial Circulars currently in force,” said Dr Bhasera.
Among the guidelines set by the ministry, which all local authorities are required to follow, councils must share draft job advertisements with the Department of Local Authorities and Inspectorate for approval before publication.
“All local authorities are expected to submit applicant lists for joint background checks and preliminary vetting prior to shortlisting candidates. They must also avoid appointing any council official from another local authority as an interview panellist for more than one interview, as the pool of Local Government practitioners is sufficiently large.
“Local authorities must ensure that the ministry, through the Department of Local Authorities and Inspectorate, actively participates in all interview processes until the selection is complete,” reads the circular.
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