A Bulawayo-based pro-democracy group, Bulawayo Agenda, has organised a capacity-building and resource management workshop for traditional leaders in Nkayi district.
Bulawayo Agenda spokesperson Mmeli Dube told NewsDay yesterday, the workshop to be held over the weekend would bring together Chief Madliwa, 34 headmen and kraalheads from his area.
“We want to train leaders on leadership skills, natural resource management skills and community mapping of the natural resources in their areas,” Dube said, adding the traditional leaders had requested the workshop hence there was no need for them to seek police clearance.
“This will ensure that they are able to fully understand and are also able to hold to account people who are exploiting resources in their areas. “For example in Nkayi they have a lot of resources in forestry and cattle. However, there are people who take advantage of the community and buy the cattle cheaply.”
Dube said the training would also include leadership and peace-building.
“We thought that it is necessary to have this training because nowadays we are experiencing a lot of institutional reform and the chiefs and other traditional leaders may find themselves irrelevant if they don’t have modern management skills.
“As Bulawayo Agenda, we realised that for the communities to benefit out of the abundance of their resources and their traditional leadership, there is a need for this training,” he said.
