THE Bulawayo City Council has rejected a plea to extend the contract of former deputy director of engineering services Job Jika-Ndebele, saying the local authority was not short of experienced replacements. NQOBILE BHEBHE CHIEF REPORTER
Councillors said Ndebele’s resignation came at a time when he was spearheading vital development projects in Bulawayo and they risked being abandoned in Ndebele’s absence.
Ndebele retired last year in October after serving council for more than 20 years, but opted to continue for three months up to January 31 2014.
According to a confidential report dated March 28, the councillor for Ward 1, Mlandu Ncube, wrote to town clerk Middleton Nyoni, mayor Martin Moyo and his deputy Gift Banda, appealing for an extension of Ndebele’s contract saying he was spearheading key development projects in the city.
“To me, the Godini Project is the biggest project ever to be undertaken since independence in Bulawayo through the initiative of the local authority,” Ncube said.
“This will necessitate a lot of relocations of vendors and kombis. So because of the nature of this project and also considering the pivotal role he is playing in, it is only prudent to ask him to stay in order to allow a smooth flow of the movements or at least for the project to start with him still around,” pleaded Ncube.
He said Ndebele was key in crafting a new strategic plan which was currently in its initial stages.
However, Nyoni responded by reminding Ncube that council had competent staff to steer the projects.
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“The ongoing development projects like the redevelopment of Egodini bus terminus and shopping mall, the finalisation of the city’s strategic plan and various multiple projects envisaged under the city’s master plan will be undertaken as scheduled by competent fellow staff in the department,” Nyoni said.
“In the circumstances, therefore, it is not advisable to extend the post-retirement contract of the retired deputy director of engineering services (town planning) outside the provision of the law and council’s standing policy on post-retirement employment contracts,” wrote Nyoni.
The report said based on discussions between director of engineering, Simile Dube, and Ndebele, it “was apparent that he had no intention of returning to council as he had secured a lectureship at Nust (National University of Science and Technology) and would be fully occupied”.
