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Appointment of Local Govt board illegal: MDC Alliance

The appointment of the Local Government Board by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works is unconstitutional and serves no purpose except to interfere with the administrative matters in councils across Zimbabwe, the opposition MDC Alliance has said.

The condemnation comes after the government appointed the Local Government Board early this week to be responsible for the selection of the councilsโ€™ senior management countrywide.

In creating the board, the Local Government Minister, July Moyo, relied on the provisions of the Urban Councils Act and has since met with the members to give them direction that include regulating conditions of service and termination the employ of senior council staff including town clerks and directors.

But MDC Alliance Secretary for Local Government and Rural Development, Sesel Zvidzai, trashed the appointments, saying the creation of the board was outside the parameters of the law. 

โ€œAs repeatedly stated in our reform agenda the local government board is an unconstitutional structure whose existence  serves no purpose except to enable the central government  to interfere with the administrative matters in councils. It must be abolished,โ€ he said.

โ€œIn terms of the constitution, local authorities must enjoy political, fiscal and administrative autonomy so that citizens can enjoy prime service delivery. This is the essence of devolution.โ€

Zvidzai said the MDC Alliance has observed that the use of the Local Government Board to employ council staff, has in the past, led to the appointment of incompetent individuals.

โ€œIncompetent (ruling) party functionaries who are corrupt  and have a toxic obsession with obstructing the smooth functioning of local authorities. This is at the centre of the disharmony and poor performance of most councils,โ€ said the MDC Allianceโ€™s local government secretary.

MDC Allianceโ€™s position has been that local authorities should employ their own staff, so accountability and authority are left to the local authorities, Zvidzai said.

โ€œAs opposed to the current situation where the senior staff members employed by local authorities account to Zanu-PF.โ€

He noted that as a party they condemned the refusal by the Local Government Minister and Zanu-PF to respect the constitution particularly Chapter 14, which provides for devolution of governmental powers to local authorities.

โ€œSuch disrespect for the constitution enables Zanu-PF to interfere with local authoritiesโ€™ work thus affecting service delivery adversely,โ€ Zvidzai said.

โ€œWe call upon Minister Moyo to respect the constitution  and immediately dismantle the illegal Local Government Board. We reiterate that the constitutional ideal of devolution must be implemented in accordance with our Local Government Agenda  to improve service delivery and the performance of local authorities  for the benefit of the people.โ€

The Local Government Board is led by Steven Chakaipa.

Other board members include Professor Campbell Temba Kombe, Maxwell Kaitano, councillor Patricia Mwale,  Marjorie Mandaringa, Engineer Tatenda Mawokomatanda and Hamandishe Chinyengetere.

Dadirai Dodo is the board Secretary.

Lulu Brenda Harris

Lulu Brenda Harris is a seasoned senior news reporter at CITE. Harris writes on politics, migration, health, education, environment, conservation and sustainable development. Her work has helped keep the public informed, promoting accountability and transparency in Zimbabwe.

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