TEMPERS flared during a full council meeting at Marondera Municipality recently after both Zanu PF and MDC-T councillors challenged town clerk Josiah Musuwo to call for fresh interviews for the housing director’s post, citing lack of transparency among other irregularities.
by JAIROS SAUNYAMA
Currently the town is operating without a substantive housing director following the departure of Edmore Nhekairo, who joined Harare City Council this year.
All the councillors unanimously agreed that the interview process be redone as they were not happy with one of the top four final candidate, former Harare City housing director Justin Chivawaya, who they said was not suitable for the post.
The councillors also disapproved the inclusion of one Mandiziva from Hwange, who they said was below the minimum age of 35. First to move the motion was Ward 1 councillor Maria Nhemachena (Zanu PF), who suggested that Musuwo should stop taking the names of the four candidates to the Local Government Board as they wanted the whole process to be redone.
Ward 7 councillor Dominic Matangira (MDC-T) said the whole process was flawed and not transparent.
“We were not even told of the interviews and we really need to start afresh. The town clerk should consider doing that. Why do we have Chivavaya as the top candidate, someone who has been away from reality for 15 years after leaving the City of Harare? He was retrenched and given his package, so you want to give him another package as well?
“The other candidate from Hwange is actually 34 and she was interviewed, but the age limit is 35. We are ordering you to reconsider restarting the whole process transparently,” Matangira charged.
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However, Musuwo said he followed the normal processes, adding councillors should not challenge the outcome of the interviews.
“We are still in the process of appointing a housing director and we are following all the normal procedures. These accusations are tantamount to mistrust of the town clerk. Other towns and cities who advertised for such similar posts just like us have already appointed directors.
“We received 130 applications, the biggest ever in the history of this council, it was a big job for me. From the 130 we were left with 30 candidates, then 12 and nine. Of the nine, only six turned up for the interviews. We were left with four candidates and I will take the names to Harare for final consideration,” Musuwo said.
Deputy mayor Alderman Godfrey Chisango demanded that Musuwo restart the process. Council, however, resolved that Musuwo stall the process for further deliberations.
