Source: Centre for Community Development in Zimbabwe (CCDZ)
The Centre for Community Development in Zimbabwe (CCDZ), Chitungwiza Residents Trust (CHITREST), Harare Residents Trust (HRT) and the Zimbabwe United Residents Association (ZURA) yesterday gave oral evidence to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Rural and Urban Development on alignment of local government laws to the Constitution.
In March 2016, CCDZ and its civil society partners petitioned Parliament to ensure the urgent alignment of local government laws to the Constitution. The civil society organisations implored Parliament to ensure that Provincial and Metropolitan Councils are established and operationalized in line with Section 268 and 269 of the Constitution. The organisations also reiterated that the recently adopted Local Government Act was ultra vires the Constitution. The Act entrenches the powers of the Executive and violates the principle of devolution which is enshrined in the Constitution.
Presenting oral evidence to the Portfolio Committee on Local Government, CCDZ Executive Director, Phillip Pasirayi, emphasised the urgent need for local government reforms and urged Parliament to play its oversight role. Pasirayi told Parliament that devolution of powers enabled local authorities to operate effectively and efficiently thereby improving social service delivery which at the moment has collapsed. The CCDZ director also indicated that devolution of governmental powers and responsibilities will enhance transparency and accountability in local governance. He said: “The establishment of Provincial and Metropolitan Councils will strengthen accountability systems to address corruption and poor service delivery in local authorities”.
The Director of Harare Residents Trust, Mr. Precious Shumba argued that there is no political will to align local government laws and implement the principle of devolution. Shumba also said that Mayors and Chairpersons for urban local authorities must be given executive powers to reign in corrupt and incompetent Council staff.
Presenting his evidence to the Local Government Committee, the Director of Chitrest, Mr. Marvelous Kumalo, implored parliamentarians to exercise their oversight role and ensure that the proposed local government laws are democratic and in line with international best practices. He said that Parliament should set in motion the process to align local government laws to the constitution and that all citizens must be allowed to participate freely in this process. This was against the backdrop of violence encountered during the public hearings conducted by the Parliamentary Committee on the Local Government Bill in June 2016.
The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Local Government, Hon Irene Zindi said that the Committee will consider the recommendations from civil society and will continue to engage the organisations with regards to local government reforms.
Source: Centre for Community Development in Zimbabwe (CCDZ)