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| The Mayor of Bulawayo, councillor Martin Moyo delivering the opening remarks at the devolution conference |
BULAWAYO Progressive
Residents Association (BPRA) successfully held its devolution conference on
Friday 22 November 2013 where a framework for a devolved local government
system in Zimbabwe that shall be used as a basis for advocacy on devolution was
finalized. The devolution conference was attended by local governance
stakeholders and residents association representatives from across Zimbabwe,
members of the parliamentary portfolio committee on local governance, local
parliamentarians and councillors. The Mayor of Bulawayo, councillor Martin Moyo
officially opened the event. The core purpose of the conference was to collate
and validate the findings of a nationwide consultation exercise that BPRA
undertook throughout the country’s ten provinces to gather the views of
Zimbabweans on how devolution in the country should be structured and
operationalized. It also served as a platform to come up with a nationwide
advocacy strategy on devolution of power to be implemented at the local level
in all of Zimbabwe’s ten provinces.
Among the issues that
were addressed at the conference were questions to do with the preferred levels
of government, the geographic units of governance, the distribution of
functions and responsibilities of provincial councils, allocation of resources,
institutions of governance and the relationship between central government and
provincial councils. Also addressed were issues to do with how devolution of
power can ensure promotion of all the country’s languages and how it can ensure
that local areas benefit from the resources that they are endowed with.
A plan for advocacy on
devolution of power in all the country’s ten provinces was also mapped
following agreement by delegates that there was need for a synchronised and
coordinated approach to advocacy on devolution. It was agreed that residents
associations in their localities in all the ten provinces of Zimbabwe would
target communities, churches and traditional leaders in an effort to generate
debate on devolution of power and demystify the concept. Other targets would
include the ministry of local government, the local government board, the
parliamentary portfolio committee on local government, the council of chiefs,
parliamentarians and senators, using strategies such as public meetings, road
shows, concerts, publications and advocacy meetings. The rationale behind the
activities would be to mobilise people to support devolution and lobby decision
makers and leaders on the concept. Delegates also stressed the need for
increased momentum on advocacy and lobbying on devolution of power to ensure
that the country realizes the gains on devolution of power that were ushered-in
with the signing of a new constitution earlier this year.
The conference was held
as part of BPRA’s ‘Local Governance Project’ which sought to take advantage of
the devolution provisions enshrined in Chapter 14 of the new constitution to
lobby parliamentarians on the form and content of the devolution law that the
country will adopt. The project was aimed at ensuring that the devolution of
power adopted by the country is premised on the principles of active citizen
participation, transparency and accountability.
Regards
Information Department
Bulawayo
Progressive Residents Association
Bus. Tel: +263 9 61196
Cell: +263 772 516 729
