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Stakeholders attending the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations national advocacy meeting on devolution yesterday urged the Government to expedite the enactment of a law governing devolution to enhance local authorities’ capacity to deliver services.
They said the proposed law will regulate the disbursement of devolution funds and the devolvement of powers to local authorities.
In 2020, President Mnangagwa launched the devolution and decentralisation policy which spelt out strategies for the successful implementation of the national agenda to promote development across the country’s 10 provinces.
At the meeting, chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Local Government and Public Service Albert Nyakuedzwa said stakeholder involvement in crafting such Bills will aid in the attainment of Vision 2030.
“Participatory democracy, in letter and spirit, will be fostered by the proposed Bill. The grassroots will choose their own development priorities and initiatives in an effort to improve their quality of life and service delivery.
“This will strengthen the current policies — the call to action and the “nyika inovakwa nevene vayo” mantra that will aid in the realisation of an upper middle-class economy by 2030,” said Cde Nyakuedzwa.
In addition, the Bill will help Parliament exercise its oversight duties.
“We only have a policy controlling devolution at present, thus a law managing the policy needs to be passed, which will see the combining of the Rural District Councils Act and the Urban Councils Act into single legislation,” he said.
“This will help Parliament in doing its duties of oversight, doing checks and balances on the use of money by local authorities.”
Zimbabwe Council of Churches secretary general, Wilfred Dimingu said devolution needs to be evident from the grassroots.
He said the ZCC has played a pivotal role in concertising people in the country side.
“The devolution we seek must begin at the local level, where people are involved in national development initiatives and decision-making processes,” he said.
“ZCC has been involved in engaging people and local authorities in Masvingo, Matabeleland South, Manicaland and Mashonaland East where we were trying to popularise the issue to demystify devolution so that people could understand it and what it brings to them.”
ZCC has been lobbying Parliamentary Portfolio Committees to ensure that they work with the Government in implementing and making devolution work.
Online Reporter