CIVIL society organisations (CSOs) have implored government to speed up the enactment of devolution laws to operationalise provisions of the Constitution.
The call came during a two-day symposium held in Bulawayo on the public finance management framework for local authorities in relation to the devolution policy.
The seminar was facilitated by the Public Policy Research Institute of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development and the Southern African Parliamentary Support Trust,
Chapter 14 of the Constitution provides for a devolved State as dictated by the country’s supreme law which seeks to achieve self-governance and determination by people in their respective local authorities.
Devolution entails the transfer of power from the central government to the local authorities.
However, lack of an operationalisation Act has made it difficult for councils to function effectively.
In his state of the nation address last year, President Emmerson Mnangagwa urged Parliament to accelerate the enactment of devolution legislation.
He also indicated that the Provincial Councils and Administration Act, Rural District Councils Act and the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act would be amended accordingly during the 5th Session of the 9th Parliament.
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In a joint communiqué, the CSOs said authorities should expedite the enactment of devolution laws to operationalise provisions of the Constitution which would result in the establishment of proper governance structures for the implementation of devolution policy.
“Government should come up with a sound public finance management system for local authorities to safeguard public resources allocated for the implementation of the devolution policy,” the organisations said.
The CSOs also raised concern over the absence of enabling legislation or guidelines, transparency and accountability with regards to the utilisation of devolution funds.
