Ministry readies to induct newly elected councillors

THE Ministry of Local Government and Public Works is ready to commence an orientation process for the more than 2 000 recently elected councillors across the country soon after the inauguration of President Mnangagwa.

According to Section 94 subsection (1) of the Constitution, persons elected as President and Vice-Presidents assume office on the ninth day after being declared to be elected or in the event of a challenge to the validity of their election, within forty-eight hours after the Constitutional Court has declared them winners.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) declared President Mnangagwa winner after he garnered 2 350 711 votes (52,6 percent of the valid vote) in last week’s election against 1 967 343 (44 percent) secured by his CCC rival, Mr Nelson Chamisa.

Director of Communications and Advocacy in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Mr Gabriel Masvora, said they were ready to roll out the orientation process that will see 10 teams being deployed to each province headed by the provincial directors. He said they expected the exercise to take about 14 days.

“As a ministry we are now ready to conduct inductions for the newly elected councillors totalling more than 2 000 across the country,” he said.

Mr Masvora said the inductions will be done after the inauguration of the President and are expected to be completed in two weeks.

There are 92 local authorities in the country that have a total of 1 970 wards with Midlands and Mashonaland West provinces having the highest number at 14 each. The Midlands councils have 296 wards while Mashonaland West councils have 234.

Bulawayo City Council has 29 wards, Matabeleland North has 10 local authorities with 197 wards while Matabeleland South has the same number of local authorities but 168 wards.

Harare Metropolitan has three local authorities and 77 wards, Manicaland 10 local authorities and 260 wards and Mashonaland Central also has 10 local authorities with 238 wards.

Mashonaland East province has 11 local authorities with 229 wards while Masvingo has nine local authorities with 242 wards.