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.
