Residents daze MPs, demand devolution

Tempers flared at a public hearing which was conducted by Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Rural and Urban Development at Sakubva Beit hall in the eastern border city on Wednesday.

Chaired by Kadoma Central legislator, Fani Phiri, the committee had a torrid time trying to bring the meeting to order as tempers flared.

Residents had no kind words for Zanu PF government, accusing it of taking them for a ride.

They said the Bill was a ploy by Zanu PF to give more powers to Local government minister for him to interfere with the operations the local authorities ahead of a break or make it 2018 general election.

The fractured Zanu PF is trying to retain power at all cost amid indications that the party has failed to deliver some of its promises it made during the 2013 elections.

Some of the promises include creating 2, 2 million jobs for the youths and reopening of closed industries.

Residents called on government to implement the devolution of power which the people voted for in the new constitution.

United Mutare Residents and Ratepayers Trust (UMRRT) Programmes Coordinator, Edson Dube, said government should first align laws into the new constitution.

He said Chapter 14 of the new constitution was clear about the issue of devolution of power.

“The constitution is clear that people should have right to government their own affairs.

We see a situation where minister is just given powers to unceremoniously remove democratically elected office bearers from their positions.

Where are the tenets of democracy which we talk about? This is a serious violation of people’s rights,” said Dube.

He said residents should be given chance to exercise their rights by not imposing commissions on them.

“Why should we impose commissions on voters who elected certain people to certain positions? Please leave people who were voted to implement their plan of action until the end of their tenure,” said Dube.

He said the issue of Independent Tribunal was also not clear and was suspicious.

James Mundenda of Governance and National Constitutional Educational Trust said government should stop playing mind games.

He said the constitution was clear and it must be followed religiously. He said devolution of power should be implemented first with amendments following later.

“How can we amend a constitution before we even use it? Let’s give life to the devolution process first. We have a problem of policy inconsistency. We are not going anywhere as a nation because we always start new things everyday before we implement old policies,” said Mundenda.

Memory Muzanechita of Zimbabwe Conference On Reconstruction and Development said provincial and metropolitan councils should be put in place first before government talks of amendments.

“We don’t want to give the minister sweeping powers to do what he wants on elected people. We don’t want the councils to be accountable to a minister but the provincial councils.

“We want devolution, period. The minister will only intervene in serious matters but minor issues can be dealt with at provincial level,” she said.

A local councilor, Simon Makuvire, said the appointment of a Tribunal chairperson by minister was unconstitutional as it interferes with the independence of the body.

“Minister cannot handpick a chairperson of the Tribunal because he is also an appointee of a certain political party. Judicial Service Commission should select the members of the Tribunal who shall select their own chairperson.

The minister should report to the Tribunal as a complainant,” said Makuvire.

He said the remuneration of the Tribunal members should be decided by a committee of parliament and published in the government gazette for transparency’s sake.

Farai Bhiza, a local resident, said if government wants to write another constitution it should go back to the people and get their views.

“We are saying an Act is under the Supreme law. Let us start with devolution of power. The law is there to protect the citizens not to suppress them. We should be asking our provincial council about the missing $15 billion from Marange-thus devolution,” said Bhiza.