CHITUNGWIZA is grappling with several challenges affecting efforts to improve service delivery, among them political interference.
This emerged during the 2021–2025 Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC)-facilitated strategic plan review workshop held at the weekend in Chinhoyi where participants cited lack of funds, debts, lack of own source of water, political interference and intolerance as the major factors affecting operations in the dormitory town.
The OPC team said it observed that efforts to improve service delivery were affected by compromised governance, perceived corruption, and a culture of impunity, non-funding, an unsustainable financial model, disengaged stakeholders and lack of staff motivation and bureaucratic inefficiencies.
“We are in a crisis. Councillors fear doing certain things because we are too political. The executive members are now politicians more than the councillors. We will be competing. We need to correct that. What is important is culture change. Let’s change our culture at Chitungwiza. We are doing our plan not their plan,” said Amos Muguti, one of the facilitators.
It also emerged that there were no performance appraisals of all employees at the council.
Mayor Lovemore Maiko and acting town clerk Japson Nemuseso told NewsDay that the council would address the issues raised.
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“We have taken note of the issues raised and we would like to improve from where we are. We are going to take the issue of performance appraisals raised seriously,” Maiko said.