Story by Fungai Jachi
THE Government is set to undertake a comprehensive skills audit at the Harare City Council as part of broader efforts to close competency gaps and strengthen the capacity of the capital’s local authority.
This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Skills Audit and Development and the Harare City Council in the capital this Tuesday, formally initiating the audit process at Town House.
Harare Mayor, Councillor Jacob Mafume, described the partnership as an important step toward rebuilding the council’s institutional effectiveness and improving service delivery.
“We want to ensure that our workforce is skilled for the jobs that they do, and for us to be able to do this, we have to undertake this programme of auditing the skills that are there and see how we can improve the skill set. We will work with the government, we understand they are there to assist us in enhancing our workforce,” he said.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Skills Audit and Development, Ambassador Rudo Chitiga, said the audit programme will eventually be extended to all local authorities to ensure nationwide improvements in public service capacity.
“We are sure that this will improve service delivery, and we hope that they will continue to upskill their workforce so that they have relevant skills for the work they do,” she noted.
Whether the Harare City Council’s commitments translate into tangible improvements will become clearer in the months ahead, as residents continue to expect better performance in critical service areas.
