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No room for excuses: Mpofu

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TRANSPORT and Infrastructural Development minister Obert Mpofu this week read the riot act to board members of parastatals and authorities under his purview when he was outlining the ministry’s expectations for 2015.

TRANSPORT and Infrastructural Development minister Obert Mpofu this week read the riot act to board members of parastatals and authorities under his purview when he was outlining the ministry’s expectations for 2015.

PAIDAMOYO MUZULU SENIOR REPORTER

Mpofu said there was no room for excuses on failure to deliver on set objectives and board members should desist from pursuing personal interests ahead of those of the government.

“My priority focus and indeed that of government, is delivery of excellent service to the public and to that end, it must be performance through and through. There must be no room for excuses and ineptitude,” Mpofu said on Tuesday.

“I also cautioned you to desist from pursuing personal interests ahead of those of government and I have since been advised of cases of deviation from that position and want to categorically state that I am seized with the situation and will act accordingly.”

Mpofu has so far met with boards of Air Zimbabwe, Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe, CMED, Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) and Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara).

The minister reminded the boards to make decisions and see to their implementation even if they were unpopular.

“You should be decisive in making decisions and not regret the decisions you make even if they are unpopular because this is not a popularity contest, but a question of delivering results,” Mpofu said.

Transport plays a critical role in the government economic blue-print ZimAsset and to that end the ministry will conduct periodic board appraisals and take remedial action where it was needed.

“The ministry evaluates boards, while they themselves must evaluate management. Our evaluation of the boards has begun and we will be advising you of our position in due course,” Mpofu said.

Some of the parastatals under the ministry like Air Zimbabwe, CMED and Zinara have over the past couple of years been embroiled in corruption and maladministration charges leaving many of them technically insolvent with senior managers facing criminal charges.

The meeting was the first Mpofu had with the boards this year to outline the ministry’s expectations and setting-up targets for this year.