SYDNEY NCUBE 

ZVISHAVANE – From one donated vehicle to a plethora of road equipment and from nagging salary backlogs to fixed pay days, Runde Rural District Council Executive Officer for Finance (Finance Director) Tarirayi Sibanda obviously looks back with a great sense of achievement.

He retired on February 6 2022, at the age of 55 after serving one of Midlands’ local authorities for the last 14 years.

He had a chat with Mirror reporter Sydney Ncube.

Sibanda joined Runde RDC on February 6 2008, and has been the Finance Director since then.

He is credited with strengthening the local authority’s financial position. Runde had a salary backlog when he took over and he turned around this situation and salaries have been paid on time every month since then.

Sibanda told Ncube that he was going on an early retirement to pursue personal projects which he cannot do when he is employed full time at the local authority.

“I am 55 years now. As a finance person I know that working for the next 5 years is not going to yield much more for me. It is time for me to be doing some personal projects while I still can. I joined Runde on February 6, 2008, and served Runde for 14 years as the Finance Director.

“My biggest challenge has been how to distribute scarce resources to competing areas of need and in particular, service delivery. I must admit however, that such a challenge has taught me a lot in my life”, he said.

He said he however, took Runde to great heights.

“Before 2008 Runde RDC was ranked among the worst local authorities and was struggling to attract qualified staff. Some councillors even resigned. There was only one Head Of Department and the Chief Executive Officer before me. Salary arrears were a big challenge and council had only one donated vehicle.

“My first achievement was to connect with big mines under the council’s area of jurisdiction and make them appreciate the need to contribute to the council’s fiscus. By 2014 with the co-operation of the entire management team, we managed to purchase road equipment including graders, loaders, a compactor, water Bowsers, tipper trucks, new motor vehicles, build classroom blocks, clinics, dams, bridges and offices. 

As a mark of his achievements, Sibanda was chosen as the chairman for Midlands RDCs’ Treasurers for four years and became the national secretary for treasurers for another four years. He was the chairman for RDCs tariff negotiating committee for 10 years.

He was consulted by colleagues on many issues.

Sibanda said among the projects that he will pursue are an agricultural venture at his farm which is 6km out of Zvishavane where he will do horticulture, poultry and goats. He also has an industrial stand in town which he is developing.https://masvingomirror.com