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Update on national consultations on the Urban Councils Act
Combined Harare
Residents Association (CHRA)
December 17, 2012
CHRA embarked
on a national process meant to unearth people's views on the
Urban Councils
Act, which will be tabled before the parliamentary portfolio
committee on local government should the Supreme Court rule in favour
of parliament. These consultations come against a backdrop of a
motion moved by Hon. Tangwara Matimba of Buhera, to amend the urban
council's act sighting excessive powers given to the minister
of local government Rural and Urban Development.
The consultations
were done in Harare, Bindura, Bulawayo, Gwanda, Kadoma, Gweru, Marondera,
Mutare and Kariba. The teams that went to these areas had a list
of questions with which residents debated upon.
There were 12
thematic areas of debate as highlighted below:
- Suspension
of elected councilors (Who should suspend)
- Appointment
of special interest councilors
- Water as
a human right
- Local authorities
annual audits (legal mandatory annual release)
- Local government
board vis-a-vis local government commission
- Appointment
of the local government board
- Functions
of City fathers (ceremonial/executive)
- Participatory
budgets and budget tracking
- Legal recognition
of resident's associations
- Power's
of recall
- Local authorities
financing
- Payment
and appointment of commissions of enquiry in local authorities
Note: The debates
were not only confined to these areas as other contentious issues
would at time emerge depending on issues affecting the area. Residents
in general expressed dissatisfaction on many legal provisions as
stipulated in the urban council's act as it was unanimous
that currently there is too much central government operating in
local government. This spelt the need to come up with a three tier
local government which operates at central government level, then
provincial and local government. Residents expressed their desire
for government playing an oversight role in terms of policy implementation
and formulation. Residents in Matabeleland pointed out the need
for central government players to release funds that will be distributed
according to province reaching out to the local authority. This
then means that the act should compel each councilor (at ward level)
to come up with an annual development plan which is then consolidated
and send out to the provincial government and funds are released.
The Association
is finalizing a report which will be sent out to all our partners
and interested stakeholders on the findings. On Wednesday, leaders
of residents associations will gather in Harare to validate the
findings and adopt the final document.
Visit the CHRA
fact
sheet
Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website.
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