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NewsDay

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Kwekwe Council, Chombo face off

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KWEKWE The local authority here says service delivery is being compromised because of an employment freeze imposed on councils by Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo. Kwekwe city council says it has 250 critical posts which need to be filled to enhance service delivery such as sewer and water reticulation among other vacancies. Speaking at a […]

KWEKWE The local authority here says service delivery is being compromised because of an employment freeze imposed on councils by Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo.

Kwekwe city council says it has 250 critical posts which need to be filled to enhance service delivery such as sewer and water reticulation among other vacancies.

Speaking at a full council meeting last week, councilor Aaron Gwalazimba implored fellow councillors to set up a delegation which will visit Chombo to discuss staff shortages crippling operations at the local authority.

Council is currently being forced to fork out over $20 000 in overtime allowances to security guards who are forced to work over two shifts daily owing to the shortage.

Burst water pipes and sewer blockages go unattended for days because workers in the department are overwhelmed and the local authority feels adding new employees would help improve efficiency.

Although council resolved to visit Chombo over the crisis, Mayor Shadreck Tobiwa believes it will be a waste of time as Chombo had steadfastly refused to budge on his previous directives.

We have engaged the minister over these and other issues, but he has refused to budge. We will go and meet him. I am not sure it will change anything, said Tobaiwa.

Kwekwe is failing to meet a government directive which stipulates that 70% of the revenue collected by council should go towards service delivery, while 30% pays salaries and wages.