Searching for a Productive Worker: A Survey of the Implications of Appointed Staff’s Qualifications to Urban Councils’ Governance in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The paper focuses on the Zimbabwean scenario. The country arguably had one of the best systems of decentralized local government in Africa. However, from the year 2000 because of political, economic and social disturbances the public institutions in general degenerated. The deterioration was multi-faceted because it covered issues like; loss of qualified personnel, lack of adequate funds, recentralisation of political, fiscal and economic power and responsibilities previously decentralized to local governments and poor working conditions. The theme of this paper however is the need for urban councils to employ qualified and competent personnel with the ultimate goal of providing efficient and effective goods and services too the citizens. Employees with higher qualifications could comprehensively understand urban problems and developmental needs. The current situation in Zimbabwe of underplaying the importance of training and at the same time employing officers with very basic or no qualifications is a misnomer considering the demands of good governance and complex problems being generated currently in urban areas especially in Third World Countries. The research focused on qualifications required for effective and efficient implementation of urban councils’ business. Form a total population of 139 who were Heads of Departments a sample of 68 respondents was chosen from Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare and Bindura. Purpossive sampling was used in selecting respondents. The results indicated that individuals elected as councillors and permanent employees of urban councils have very low academic and professional qualifications. It was also found out that employees have better opportunities for further training than councillors. However, the respondents were of the opinion that the councillors need to have diplomas and degrees to function effectively and efficiently in the current complex urban environment. The recommendations included the need to encourage employees to acquire higher qualifications, the need to amend the current Urban Councils Act so that higher qualifications for employees and councillors are demanded, the need to have systematic training and recruitment oft highly qualified people in the urban councils.