The Zimbabwe Local Government Association (Zilga) president Nimrod Chiminya has challenged rural district councils (RDCs) across the country to utilise natural resources in their areas to improve service delivery.
Chiminya spoke while officially opening the Association of Rural District Councils of Zimbabwe (ARDCZ)’s eighth annual conference attended by rural district council chief executive officers from across the country on Wednesday.
He said the transformation of the RDCs had to start with the executives recognising themselves as intellectuals, capable of running the local authorities.
Chiminya bemoaned the poor revenue collection base saying rural councils must be considered in the National Budget.
“The RDCs constitute almost 99,9% of the area in the country and they deserve a good chunk of funds allocation from the country’s national budget.”
Chiminya said. He lamented the failure by the local authorities to use the available resources within their respective jurisdictions to mobilise funds to enhance service delivery.
“RDCs must use the available resources to boost their service delivery considering the fact that their revenue collection base is constrained. Why don’t you use the soil that you have to raise money?” said Chiminya.
ARDCZ vice-president Sikhanyisiwe Mpofu, the wife of Umguza MP, Obert Mpofu, speaking at the same function, said the CEOs needed to be financially capacitated to be able to execute their duties well.
