Online Reporter
Vusumuzi Dube, Deputy Radar Editor
LOCAL authorities in the country have been subverting a Government directive on the holding of workshops beyond the councils’ limits, where they were instructed to seek approval from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
The councils have instead been organising workshops with private agencies, ministries, departments and agencies without the ministry’s knowledge, thereby incurring huge facilitation, participation and registration fees.
According to Section five of Ministerial Circular Number 12 (amended) (cross ref CX/7) of 2025 on Councillor allowances and perks; “any Council wishing to hold a function outside the limits given should make a submission to the Permanent Secretary in writing, requesting for authority.”
In a correspondence sent to all town clerks, town secretaries, chief executive officers and board secretaries, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Dr John Bhasera said they have noted that some councils were subverting this directive to engage private agencies and not seeking prior approval from the ministry.
“The Ministry has noted with great concern that some local authorities have been contravening the above circular and organising workshops with private agencies, Ministries, Departments and Agencies without the knowledge of the ministry and incurring huge facilitation or participation and registration fees.
“Given the above, all local authorities are instructed with immediate effect to desist from attending and organising workshops without prior approval from the Ministry,” reads the letter to the councils.
The ministry further reminded councils that this directive is to ensure proper oversight and accountability in the use of public funds within local Government structures, ensuring that all funds are channelled towards service delivery.
“The prerogative of capacity building in local authorities, including facilitation of the same rest, with the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works through the Department of Local Authorities and Inspectorate. Resources should be channelled to service delivery, not workshops and travel,” reads the letter.
Bulawayo City Councillors have in the past couple of months been lobbying for out-of-town trips, with some of them expressing discontent over what they perceive as unequal opportunities to attend workshops and conferences.
The councillors cited a need to “benefit” from such engagements.
Some argued that certain council committees were constantly attending conferences.
The lobbying emerged amid deliberations on attendance at two prominent events that include the recently held Khumbul’ekhaya Investment Conference in Harare and the upcoming Sanganai/Hlanganani — World Tourism Expo scheduled for Mutare from 10 to 12 September 2025.
