The ManicaPost
Cletus Mushanawani
News Editor
LOCAL authorities have been implored to come up with development plans that originate from the grassroots, while the deployment of resources should first consider marginalised communities in the spirit of leaving no one and no place behind.
Speaking during a meeting with district development coordinators, council chairpersons and chief executive officers in Mutare last week on Friday, the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Advocate Misheck Mugadza said all local authorities’ projects and programmes should be aligned to the National Development Strategy (NDS1) pillars.
“I want to encourage you to plan projects and programmes through a consultative process. Development plans for 2024 are now required and should have originated from villages and wards for consideration by local authorities through the district development committees.
“Ensure you engage critical stakeholders, notably the business community in their various groupings, churches, development partners, people with disabilities, traditional leaders, the Diaspora community, junior MPs, junior councillors, potential investors and other local leaders. The programmes should be aligned to the NDS1 thematic pillars,” said Minister Mugadza.
He said silo operations have no place in local authorities governance, while unnecessary bureaucratic tendencies should be avoided.
“At a high level Government meeting on September 14 in Harare, President Mnangagwa emphasised on the need for team work in doing Government business. Silo operations have no place in our operations.
“Government ministries, departments and agencies are there to service local authorities, and so we expect team work between all agencies and local authorities. The stifling of development and negative attitudes to development work is a thing of the past,” said Minister Mugadza.
He called on local authorities to stick to their mandate of service provision and speedily resolve issues raised by ratepayers.
“As local authorities, your mandate is to provide service to your people through roads, water provision, waste management, sewer management, housing, education, social amenities, investment promotion and environmental management.
“Let us quickly respond to issues of sewer and water bursts and rampant litter, particularly in concentrated settlements. Let us avoid construction of houses in flood prone areas,” said Minister Mugadza.
He added: “The people we serve are our bosses because we are mandated to serve them. Accordingly, resolve issues raised by the people without delays. The elderly should be given special treatment. Humility and simplicity are expected of us.”
Minister Mugadza urged the local authorities to take advantage of natural endowments in their areas to leap frog modernisation and industrialisation.
“Let us sit down, plan and implement. Let us work extended hours and end when the day’s work is finished. No weekend, or holidays unless we have to rest.
“I trust that we are all determined to achieve a prosperous upper middle class income society by 2030 through achieving our set goals. Let us build our districts, our province and our country brick by brick, leaving no one and no place behind like what President Mnangagwa has repeatedly said,” Minister Mugadza said.
On corruption, Minister Mugadza said: “Government has no tolerance to corruption. There should be zero tolerance to corruption. Let us employ good corporate governance in our work. We can achieve more when we work together.”
