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Activity update
Bulawayo Agenda
January 23, 2012

Zimbabwe Devolution and Democracy Conference, Holiday Inn, Bulawayo, 21 January, 2012

Bulawayo Agenda, in partnership with Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association, and the National Youth Development Trust (NYDT) held the Zimbabwe Devolution and Democracy Conference on the 21st of January, 2012 in Bulawayo's Holiday Inn.

Presenters comprised of scholars and activists: Hon. Gorden Moyo, (Associate) Professor Sabelo Gatsheni-Ndlovu, Dr. Erich Bloch, Prof. Sabelo Gatsheni, Dr. Bheki Moyo, Mr. Farai Maguwu, Ms Thoko Matshe, Dr. James, Muzondidya (discussant), Dr. Alex Magaisa, and Dr. Philani Moyo. These were tasked to highlight advantages and also tackle risks/disadvantages of devolution as learnt from other countries and also taking into consideration the Zimbabwean context and history. Participants comprised policy makers, civic activists, academics and many others.

Outcomes included the following:

1. For devolution to work, it must be a devolution of both functions and powers i.e. administrative functions, fiscal and legislative autonomy as well as administrative independence.

2. Proposed model for devolution has 3 (three) cooperative spheres of government i.e. the National, composed of the, National Assembly, National Council of Provinces; Provincial composed of elected Governors who preside over a Provincial Legislature, Members of the Provincial legislature. At this level there should also be an executive council with some portfolios like Agriculture, housing and others to enhance Government responsiveness to the developmental needs of the populace. Below the provincial sphere should be the local Governments.

3. Some of the regional lessons were that devolution as a system is not the panacea but only a vehicle for addressing current democratic and development challenges. Devolution is both a means to an end (democratic developmental state) as well as modernisation, and an end in itself (participatory democracy and development)

4. For devolution to succeed, there would be need for political paradigmatic shift at both the leadership level and societal level; there is also a need to develop systems and capacities at the local levels.

5. Devolution would facilitates gender equality and strengthen accountability.

6. Devolution will promote equitable distribution of resources leading to local development and local democracy.

7. Civil society should facilitate robust debates on devolution and governance among different audiences/stakeholders including among the grassroots who are in essence part of civil society.

8. Stakeholders should discuss challenges which might emerge such as inter-governmental disputes among others and should come up with a hybrid as the learning from regional and international examples is thus instructive.

9. Devolution should not mean dividing the country along ethno-linguistic lines but should foster nation building based on equitable resource distribution and respect for the citizens' diversity.

Bulawayo Agenda is in the process of producing a publication of the presentations (papers) and/or deliberations and outcomes of the conference which will be used to engage with key stakeholders; local authorities, embassies and foreign missions, bureaucrats, policy makers, development partners among others. The conference has also informed the organisation's advocacy and further debate on devolution as form/model of governance to be constitutionalised in Zimbabwe. The organisation shall continue to advocate for a system that allows self-determination and equitable development guaranteed by the constitution and democratic values as opposed to the current systems that have bred disunity, inequalities and poverty.

Please visit our facebook (Bulawayo Agenda) page for pictures and more feedback on the conference.

Constitutional Update Meetings

Bulawayo Agenda has been holding constitutional update meetings to update the communities on the developments in the constitution making process and to also gather their views on the same. The meetings have been held in Bulawayo (20/01/12), Masvingo (19/01/12) and Gwanda (20/01/12). The meetings came at a time of negative publicity and alleged attempts to disrupt the constitution making process.

In Bulawayo, the COPAC representative, Hon. Brian Tshuma confirmed that the documents were leaked but said these were not the draft as no draft has been completed yet. Participants raised concerns on the security of information and credibility of the constitution making process as some of its members continue to undermine the efforts of keeping the citizens' views intact. The other concern was that the state-controlled media has taken advantage of the leaked information to promote partisan views. In Masvingo and Gwanda, the people who attended the meetings also expressed concerns on the conduct of some members of COPAC and technical team who seem to be bent on undermining the process and public confidence thereof.

The organisation has lined up meetings in various areas to discuss the constitution making process and shall continue to call for a new constitution and meaningful reforms ahead of elections.

Visit the Bulawayo Agenda fact sheet

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