Chombo hits out at EU

the way the European Union conducts business with local government in Zimbabwe.
The EU is sponsoring activities of urban councils while ignoring rural councils.
Minister Chombo said this destablised the local government system.
He said this while addressing an EU workshop on strengthening transitional partnerships and networks for enhancing participatory local governance in Harare on Wednesday.
The workshop, which was organised by the Urban Councils’ Association of Zimbabwe, brought together local government associations from Ghana and The Gambia.
The project allows the three local government associations and the 15 participating local authorities to share experiences. They will then conduct a peer review.
The EU has funded the programme to run for 36 months to the tune of US$2 million.
After applauding the EU for funding the workshop, Minister Chombo expressed reservations with the manner the body conducted its business.
“I, however, note with concern that in the case of Zimbabwe, the funding has been availed expressly for the empowerment of the urban component of Zimbabwe Local Government Association.
“The exclusion of the rural sphere obviously causes some disequilibrium in terms of the operations of Zilga as the national association,” he said.
Government, the minister said, wanted a unitary local government system administered under one Local Government Act.
“It is my view that any capacity development programme ought to embrace holistically the Zimbabwe Local Government configuration.
“Any skewed support ushers in an operational dis-connection detrimental to the performance of local government as a whole.”
European Union Head of Delegation in Zimbabwe, Ambassador Aldo Dell’Arriccia, responded: “The European Union considers local authorities to be important partners as they bring unique added value to development processes, through their ability to mobilise different stakeholders to work together and to increase public awareness.”
He said the EU supported several projects in Zimbabwe.