The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works has decided to roll up its sleeves and get personally involved in hiring senior council employees, after realizing that some local authorities have been a bit too generous with their talent choices — or should we say, “unique” in their selections.

This hands-on approach follows a jaw-dropping scandal at Hurungwe Rural District Council, where three senior officials managed to turn a cool US$65,000 earmarked for crucial infrastructure projects into a prison sentence totaling 174 years. Talk about an expensive lesson in “what not to do.”

In a circular that probably caught more eyes than the latest blockbuster, Ministry Permanent Secretary Dr. John Bhasera laid down the law to town clerks and council bigwigs. He pointed out that if Zimbabwe wants to hit its ambitious National Vision 2030 goals, it better start by putting the right people in charge — no more “fly-by-night” hires or “creative” recruitment methods.

Under the new rules, councils will need to get ministerial thumbs-up on job adverts, submit applicant lists for thorough background checks, and let ministry officials join in on interviews until the perfect candidate is found. And just to keep things fresh, the same old faces won’t be allowed to keep sitting on recruitment panels like they’re auditioning for a reality show.

While the government is confident these moves will clamp down on corruption and bring some much-needed professionalism to council leadership, some folks are already bracing for debates about how much control central government should have over local affairs. Either way, it looks like the local councils are finally getting a serious talent scout on their team!

end//..