Public administration in Zimbabwe : critical overview of Mukonoweshuro’s contribution to public administration

Abstract

The late Professor Eliphas Mukonoweshuro, who had a passion for good governance, made a vital contribution to public administration in Zimbabwe. The new political dispensation after independence triggered the expansion of the Zimbabwean public service thereby creating a skills gap which the government had to address through encouraging school leavers to enrol for tertiary education. During this period Mukonoweshuro was the Dean of the Faculty of Social Studies at the University of Zimbabwe. In 2008, Mukonoweshuro was elected Member of Parliament for Gutu South and was subsequently appointed Minister of Public Service under the new Government of National Unity in 2009. His contribution to academia and government is appreciated by many who knew him. In order to have an appreciation of his contribution to public administration, relevant literature on the late professor, condolence messages, his publications and his curriculum vitae were perused and analysed. These documents show that the professor was an extraordinary educationist and professional bureaucrat who wanted to restore credibility to the public service. An urgent need exists in Zimbabwe for an efficient, accountable, transparent and professional officialdom. The public service must be motivated and depoliticised in order to improve service delivery.