‘Council fires perceived Zanu-PF sympathisers'
Tuesday, 29 November 2011 00:00
Takunda Maodza Senior Reporter
HARARE City Council has reportedly fired 20 of its 120 workers who graduated from the National Youth Service programme perceived to be Zanu-PF sympathisers. The NYS graduates are being replaced by MDC-T activists, some of whom do not have requisite qualifications, sources allege. Most of those affected are municipal cops.
The development has irked Zanu-PF, whose secretary for administration Cde Didymus Mutasa, has vowed to confront council over the matter.
Besides the 20 municipal police officers, several others face disciplinary hearings for alleged absenteeism from work during the 2008 harmonised elections. This is happening three years after the alleged offences were committed. Worst affected are NYS graduates who were employed between 2006 and 2008.
"What is surprising is that those dismissed are being replaced by MDC-T activists, some of whom do not have ‘O' Levels. One has to have five ‘O' Levels to be employed as a municipal police officer," a source at Town House said.
The source said most of those being recruited were related to MDC-T councillors.
The Herald has a list of MDC-T activists that were recruited into the municipal police without the requisite qualifications.
"They are recruited even after failing a basic municipal police training course," further alleged the source.
The affected NYS graduates have since approached Zanu-PF for intervention.
In a letter to Cde Mutasa dated October 30, 2011, the affected workers accused council of trying to dilute the municipal police "as it is an organisation with liberation war fighters and national youth service graduates".
"This was a plan by the MDC-T to bring their youth into the municipal police. They then employed their youths under intake 30 and 31 of the Harare Municipal Police. Almost half of the two intakes had no Ordinary Level qualifications. The basic requirement for one to be in the municipal police is five ‘O' levels, but due process was not followed," reads the letter.
It added: "The absence of ‘O' levels was regularised by a full council meeting in 2009. No police vetting was done. Most of the youths had criminal records. They failed the basic metropolitan police course, but the full council passed a resolution in 2010 to call them back after three months and they were paid full salaries."
"In 2006 when intake 20, which comprised graduates of NYS was employed, those without Ordinary Level were posted to grade 16 and became general hands. Zimsec was called and the Zimbabwe Republic Police and some Zanu-PF youths were arrested. What special are they to be grade 11 when they do not have five ‘O' levels?" added the letter.
Yesterday, Cde Mutasa confirmed receiving a letter from Zanu-PF youths who were served with disciplinary hearing letters.
"It is true. Efforts to talk to (Mayor Muchadeyi) Masunda have failed. He is not answering his phone and has not responded to messages I left in his office," he said.
"It is a very unfair practice, which I do not believe a person of Masunda's understanding and education should practise," Cde Mutasa added.
He said the Masunda administration should respect and honour workers recruited before it took office.
"It is most annoying to find a council of civilised Zimbabweans behaving the way they are doing. We will take action. We will sue council. Why are they targeting ex-combatants and graduates of the
National Youth Service for dismissal? I will pursue this matter vigorously," Cde Mutasa said.
Harare town clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi refu-sed to comment yesterday referring all questions to city spokesperson Mr Leslie Gwindi.
Mr Gwindi said he needed to clarify matters first before he could comment.
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