Online Reporter
Peter Matika, [email protected]
PARLIAMENT of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of 210 Parliamentary Constituency Information Centres (PCICs) across the country.
The move is aimed at strengthening public participation in governance and improving access to parliamentary processes.
In a statement by Parliament, the agreement was signed at the New Parliament Building in Mt Hampden by the Clerk of Parliament, Mr Kennedy Chokuda, and ZPCS Deputy Commissioner General Dr Granisia Musango on behalf of the correctional services institution.
The Parliamentary Constituency Information Centres are expected to serve as hubs for civic education, dissemination of parliamentary information and engagement between legislators and communities.
The initiative is part of ongoing efforts to decentralise parliamentary services and ensure that citizens in all constituencies have easier access to information on legislative processes, national policies and developmental programmes.
By making parliamentary activities more accessible, the centres are expected to promote openness, transparency and trust between citizens and Government institutions while strengthening accountability and public participation in governance.
The partnership also reflects the expanding developmental role of the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service, which has in recent years increasingly participated in national infrastructure and community development projects through the utilisation of institutional skills and expertise.
Construction of the centres is expected to improve communication between Members of Parliament and their constituencies while creating platforms for public consultations, policy discussions and awareness programmes on constitutional and governance issues.
The development comes as Government continues implementing decentralisation and devolution programmes in line with Vision 2030, with emphasis being placed on inclusive governance, citizen empowerment and improved service delivery.
Over the years, the Parliament of Zimbabwe has intensified outreach programmes and public engagement initiatives aimed at enhancing citizen involvement in legislative processes and national development.
The establishment of the Parliamentary Constituency Information Centres is expected to further strengthen the relationship between Parliament and communities by ensuring that information and parliamentary services are readily available at constituency level across the country.
