01 Sep 2013

The freezing of recruitment in the civil service has led to an 11.72 per cent vacancy rate in the Okavango Sub-district Council.

Chairperson of the sub-council, Mr Samson Mauano, said during the council’s meeting in Gumare on Tuesday that the treasury department was the worst affected, with five officers only. Cllr Mauano said vacant posts in the electrical division had not been filled. As a result, service was provided by the staff from Maun Administration Authority (MAA).

He said because of insufficient funds in the Revenue Support Grant, the sub-council could not pay the Interfunds Indebtness liability that exceeded P28 million. However, he said, the plan was to ultimately settle the debt. He said more than P11 million was required for the missing text books in schools in the Okavango Sub-district because pupils failed to return the books.

He said the books needed to be replaced. He asked councilors to present the matter to parents because it had become serious. Commenting on the speech, councillors expressed concern about the high vacancy rate in the sub-district, saying it disturbed the daily business.

Cllr Saogho Kotongwa of Seronga said since 2011, the sub-district promised to fill the posts but that did not happen. He urged the sub-council to ask the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to unfreeze the posts because they had been like that for so many years, leading to the suffering of Okavango residents.

Cllr Kitso Ngande of Makgobokgobo said the issue of high vacant posts was a serious one as it turned the sub-council into a training institute because officers left the council in large numbers to oth

Cllr Ngande asked the council to brief councillors about the situation concerning former water unit employees, especially drivers, on whether they were profitable to the council or not because they did not have vehicles and why were they not given their packages as promised.

Cllr Olatotse Sarefo of Gudigwa/Vumbura said the situation of staff shortage hit his area hard because there were no nurses, drivers or vehicles and the community continued to suffer. Cllr Lesedi Boy nsaid he suspected that the sub-council discouraged its employees by delaying to promote them and this could be the reason some left for other councils while others neglected their duties.

Ms Mogomotsi Seemole, the senior assistant council secretary, said in response to councillors’ comments that her office tried its best follow all channels concerning the welfare of employees. ENDS