Monday 6 July 2020

QUIT OR BE SACKED : PSC ORDERS ELECTED CIVIL SERVANTS


The Public Service Commission (PSC) has ordered all Government workers who continue to serve in civil service after being elected to political offices in the 2018 harmonised elections to step down immediately or face disciplinary action.

This is according to a letter written to dozens of civil servants by PSC secretary Ambassador Jonathan Wutawunashe on June 24, 2020.

Wutawunashe said in the letter that teachers or any other civil servants who are urban or rural district councillors but remain in civil service are acting in violation of the law and the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

He ordered all the concerned civil servants to either resign from public service or step down from their elected office. Failure to do so would result in disciplinary action.

He said Government issued a memo on November 28, 2018 to all civil servants in which it clearly stated that civil servants elected to public office should resign within 30 days of the elections. It is not clear why it has taken so long for Wutawunashe to act.
Efforts to get a comment from Wutawunashe were futile.

The issue where civil servants also occupy elected political office has been contentious for many years with many school headmasters who are Zanu PF members being the culprits. The situation has been so dire that parents complained against teachers leaving pupils unattended as they ran around on political errands.

“This minute serves to direct that you are to confine your employment to the civil service if you did not resign from the service within 30 days stipulated in the Constitution. In that event you ought not to be serving as a councillor, which would be in violation of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and the Public Service Regulations SI.1.

Given that it is an act of misconduct to engage in any other employment or service for remuneration without the written consent of the Commission, it is advisable that you act immediately to correct the situation,” read part of the letter.
Masvingo Mirror

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