Metro seeks to fill critical vacant posts

THE Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is sifting through hundreds of vacant posts deemed critical by department heads, all of which, if filled, could improve services and the smooth running of the administration.

It would cost the city an additional R80-million a year to fill the positions.

A report to the municipal public accounts committee (Mpac) – which met on Monday – reveals that the metro only has a budget to fund 110 of the critical vacant posts, while no money had been set aside for the remaining 180 jobs.

The metro’s corporate services and budget and treasury departments have started the elaborate process of sifting through the almost 300 vacancies to establish which ones should be prioritised.

Once finalised, money would have to be found in the budget and the list would have to be approved by the council as it decided in June last year to place a moratorium on the filling of vacancies.

In her report to Mpac, corporate services acting executive director Vuyo Zitumane wrote: “This has affected a number of directorates negatively, in that they are unable to fulfil their service delivery requirements due to [a] shortage of staff, and as such many ad hoc requests were made in order to deal with staff shortages.”

A critical vacancies task team was established, chaired by the budget and treasury portfolio head, councillor Rory Riordhan.

The task team is made up of Zitumane, chief operating officer Mzwakhe Clay, chief financial officer Trevor Harper, corporate services portfolio head councillor Feziwe Sibeko, and other officials.

Vacancies listed as critical include: a manager of international and intergovernmental relations, a chief risk officer and a risk specialist, meter readers, a director of corporate HR services, cashiers, pool caretakers, lifeguards, artisans, technicians, plumbers, firefighters, and IPTS staff, among others.

Each position will be evaluated based on a set of criteria, including that the vacancies must be for strategic and service delivery requirements, in compliance with policy and legislation, meet operational requirements and be subject to budget availability. Zitumane wrote that principles considered were: ý All administrative posts, including general assistants, would not be deemed critical;

ý Preference would be given to operational posts that are service delivery orientated;

ý Preference would not be given to posts where there were willing acting incumbents; and

ý Preference would be given to posts which find the city currently failing to comply with legislation, or jobs that were raised by the auditor-general in his audit findings.

Zitumane’s report will be presented to the corporate services portfolio committee tomorrow.