MDC leader Welshman Ncube has vowed that his party will not drop its demands for devolution of power in the new constitution, saying the majority of Zimbabweans are struggling to access government services which are centralised in Harare.
Staff Reporter
Zanu PF is resisting the inclusion of devolution in the new supreme law, arguing it will divide the country.
The issue, along with a clause on the composition of the constitutional court and the prosecuting of powers of the Attorney-General, are said to be the remaining stumbling blocks to the new constitution.
Ncube in a statement circulated on social networks yesterday said Zimbabwe needed decentralisation and devolution.
“To Dumazile Jonas Maphosa and others who may want to change their family members’ name or other ID documents and are given the choice between waiting for nearly three months and/or take the paperwork to Harare for a signature,” he wrote.
“To mothers with babies, we say you shouldn’t have to wait days to get ID documents.
“To fathers who have to take days off work and travel hundreds of kilometres to get their sons and daughters their IDs when they come of age, we say surely, you should be able to do these things at least in your own province.
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“Surely, you don’t need to plan days off work to get a passport so you can take time to travel out of the country.”
During the festive season, Zimbabweans living in the Diaspora had to endure long hours at the Registrar-General’s Office in Harare trying to obtain travel documents. Most of them had to travel from other towns to expedite the service.
Ncube said decentralisation would ensure ordinary people would not have to travel long distances to obtain services.
“To someone from Gweru, Mutare or Masvingo, you should not have to travel nearly 300km or 400km from Bulawayo, 100km from Bindura, Chinhoyi or Marondera or 600km from Lupane or Gwanda,” he said.
“Worse still, for those from Hwange, Victoria Falls or Kamativi who travel more than 700km. We need decentralisation. We need devolution!”
Zanu PF has in the past attacked Ncube’s MDC for supporting devolution, claiming the party was perpetuating tribalism.
The MDC-T has also backed the provision on devolution of power which has received support in its strongholds of Matabeleland and Midlands.
