The ManicaPost
Rumbidzayi zinyuke Senior Reporter
THE success of the devolution agenda will depend on sound public finance management systems at both central and local government levels, hence there is need to involve all stakeholders to ensure accountability and transparency.
This came up at the public finance management reform indaba organised by the Zimbabwe Coalition of Debt and Development in Mutare this week.
Zimcodd is engaging stakeholders for input on what needs to be done to strengthen public finance management systems in respect of local authorities looking at devolution.
Zimcodd programmes manager Mr John Maketo said public finance management systems in Zimbabwe needed to be reformed and aligned to the constitution.
“Sound public finance management systems are a pre-requisite for devolution to be a success and to be meaningful. If we rush to implement devolution without sound public finance management systems, we are creating more problems for ourselves than we have now,” he said.
Government last year approved principles of the Provincial Councils and Administration (Amendment) Bill which spell out the mechanisms of decentralisation and devolution.
President Mnangagwa’s administration is working on devolving power to provincial councils in line with the Constitution.
Section (2) of the Constitution obliges central government to cede more powers to provincial councils for them to set local development priorities.
Mr Maketo said provinces however needed to be ready for devolution by increasing public confidence in their financial management systems.
“Provinces should be ready to run their own affairs. Residents should have sufficient confidence in the provincial council’s systems that are in place to run the province’s finances,” he added.
Residents who attended the meeting said there was need to educate citizens on devolution as most people were not aware of what it entails.
They said residents should be educated before the roll-out of the devolution concept to ensure maximum participation by those whose role is to demand transparency and accountability from authorities.
United Mutare Residents and Ratepayers’ Trust chairperson Mr Endy Ziyera said there was need to discuss devolution at all levels.
“Parliamentarians are not debating the realignment of laws to the constitution with devolution in mind. They are doing so with something else in mind. We should discuss devolution at all levels. Ministries, civil society and citizens should speak the same language when it comes to devolution,” he said.
“We need to do more for our local authorities to maximise on our local resources for development.
“Devolution, if properly implemented, will make all districts grow.”
Mutare City Council Mayor Councillor Blessing Thandi urged residents to be part of the financial management through their councillors.
“Council has been doing all it can to involve the public in our business. I urge you (residents) to grill your councillors so that when we have our full council meetings, they can grill our managers.
“The issue of accountability and transparency usually suffers premature death because people shun the people they have chosen to represent them in favour of someone else.
“The constitution has given us the authority to be above everyone because we run these councils,” he said.
