Maintain dumps well, Windhoek mayor urges LCC
By Kondwani Munyeka and Lovely Kayombo
Sat 21 Apr. 2012, 13:28 CAT
WINDHOEK mayor Elaine Trepper has challenged Lusaka City Council to take up a key role in ensuring that dumps are well maintained. During the presentation of a preliminary report on the work of the LCC, Trepper advised the local authority to find shelter for vendors for a clean Lusaka.
"My appeal to Lusaka City Council is that they should provide skip containers outside Soweto market because the place looks like a dumping site on its own...there is need to encourage the people to trade in markets because it is not good to turn pavements into markets. The mindset of people needs to change and the council should introduce measures of punishment," Trepper said.
The findings on the preliminary report indicate that the council has a high number of vacant positions and many senior staff in acting positions which makes it difficult for the council to operate effectively.
The report also indicated that there was a shortage of critical skills in the engineering department, poor staff conditions of service and lengthy procurement process of materials, among others.
But LCC public relations manager Chanda Makanta said in an interview that the increase in vacant positions at the local authority was a result of the council's inability to offer attractive remuneration packages to its employees.
"It is not that there are no qualified people to fill the vacancies but it is because the council does not offer attractive remuneration. That is why they shun to come and work here," she said.
Makanta also said the lengthy procurement process at the council was a result of lack of resources.
"The long procurement process is as a result of lack of adequate resources. The council may not have the money to procure things there and then because resources trickle in bit by bit and with the meagre revenue, we are trying to deliver a better service to the people," said Makanta.
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