The Sunday News
PROVINCES must take up challenge on devolution as espoused by President Mnangagwa and ensure that the system of devolution contributes to the country’s economic turnaround.
The system of devolution has been implemented by President Mnangagwa as a fulfilment to the constitutional requirements, but what is important is that provinces must seize the opportunity and identify natural resources in their backyard that will spur development and create employment for locals as well.
Speaking at the Zanu-PF People’s Conference at Esigodini in Matabeleland South on Friday, President Mnangagwa reaffirmed Government’s commitment to the full implementation of devolution, and went on to challenge provinces to brace themselves for the challenge at hand. He said to reaffirm its commitment, Government allocated $310 million towards devolution.
“As a party we recognise varied natural resource endowments in our respective provinces and that people in those provinces must benefit from the resources in their communities. Government guided by the party is putting in place the legislative framework to implement devolution. This is set to see the actualisation of the concept of provincial economies. The recently announced budget allocated a total of $310 million towards this programme,” said President Mnangagwa.
The President said his Government was committed to working hard to fulfil the people’s dreams for a better life. He said principally, his Government had taken a decision to implement the constitutional requirements of devolving and decentralising the running of the country’s affairs.
“This is one of the strategies to rebuild our economy through modernisation and industrialisation, the creation of decent jobs as well as ensuring broad-based empowerment in line with our vision to fulfil the spirit of our Constitution.”
More so, in implementing devolution, communities should remain mindful that the country is a unitary State with diverse cultures, languages, beliefs and religions.
“We must therefore use this concept for economic advancement and as a vehicle to propel development. Devolution must improve the quality of life of all our people, in every corner of the country as we strive to become a middle income economy by 2030,” said President Mnangagwa.
Communities should therefore take the programme of devolved economic development, as a concept of bringing down development and priority to local communities so that they own development. In doing so, Zimbabweans must work together in peace, love and harmony to develop the nation.
“As we begin the onerous journey towards economic growth and prosperity, let us all uphold the values of patriotism, unity, peace, love and harmony,” he said.
Cabinet has already approved principles of the Provincial Councils and Administration Amendment Bill which spells out the mechanisms of decentralisation and devolution. Section (2) of the Constitution obliges Central Government to cede more powers to provincial councils for them to set local development priorities.
“Cabinet approved the principles of the Provincial Councils and Administration (Amendment) Bill which was presented by the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing (July Moyo). The amendments have been prompted by the need to align the current Provincial Councils and Administration Act (Chapter 29:11) with the provisions of the New Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Number 20 which advocate for the devolution of power to provincial and metropolitan councils,” Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa is on record as saying.
Under devolution, each province will have its own economic development plan underpinned by resources found in that province. Economic plans will be crafted by provincial councils, led by provincial ministers, whose role should also be development-oriented.
