The Auditor General’s Report on the accounts of local authorities for the year ended December 31, 2015, 2016 and 2017 has disclosed that the Livingstone City Council engaged 14 employees without requisite qualifications.

And the Report further revealed that the local authority failed to fill positions of employment which have been vacant since 2013.

According to the latest Auditor General’s Report on the accounts of local authorities for the financial year periods ending December 31, 2015, 2016 and 2017, the Livingstone City Council had engaged 14 employees without requisite qualifications, contrary to the terms and conditions of service for local authorities, which provide for minimum qualifications for officers occupying various positions.

“Contrary to the Terms and Conditions of Service for Local Authorities, which provide for minimum qualifications for officers occupying various positions, it was observed that 14 members of staff did not meet the requisite educational and professional qualifications for the positions they were holding; IT manager (position), degree in information technology (qualification required), grade 12 certificate, diploma in computer studies (actual qualification of the person employed); senior programmer (position), degree in computer sciences (qualification required), grade 12 certificate, advanced diploma in computers (actual qualification of person employed); sciences programmer (position), degree in computer sciences (qualification required) grade 12 certificate, Diploma in IMIS (actual qualification of person employed); senior legal assistant (position), degree in law (qualification required), grade 12 certificate, diploma in legal studies (actual qualification of person employed),” the report revealed.

“Administrative officer (position), diploma in public administration, human resource management or equivalent (qualification required), grade nine certificate (actual qualification of person employed); senior committee clerk (position), degree in public administration or equivalent (qualification required), grade 12 certificate, diploma in public administration (actual qualification of person employed); senior committee clerk (position), degree in public administration or equivalent (qualification required), grade 12 certificate, diploma in public administration, certificate in committee clerk skills (actual qualification of person employed); revenue collector (position) grade 12 certificate, basic accounting (qualification required), grade nine certificate (actual qualification of person employed); senior building inspector (position), bachelors degree in Building Science or equivalent (qualification required), grade 12 certificate, technician diploma in construction crafts, certificate in brick laying and plastering (actual qualification of person employed); senior accountancy assistant (position), degree in accountancy, Full ACCA, ZICA or equivalent (qualification required), grade 12 certificate, ZICA Technician, Pastel Accounting (actual qualification of person employed); senior accountancy assistant (position) degree in accountancy, full ACCA, ZICA or equivalent (required qualification), grade 12 certificate, diploma in local government finance (actual qualification of person employed).”

And the report further revealed that the local authority failed to fill positions of employment, which had been vacant since 2013.

“A scrutiny of the establishment registers and staff returns revealed that 87 positions had not been filled during the period under review. The vacant positions include key positions of chief administrative officer, legal officer and senior valuation officers, among others. It was observed that these positions had been vacant from 2013,” the Auditor General revealed.
It also stated that the Council failed to remit statutory obligations and other contributions of amounts of over K24.5 million from employees’ salaries and wages as at March 31, 2019, owed to the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) and NAPSA, among other statutory bodies.