Stakeholders have their say on calibre of councillors

Calvin Manika

As the harmonised elections draw nearer, there is an on-going  debate  concerning the qualification of councillors. 

Some Matabeleland North residents who spoke to this publication said they intend to vote for councilors who have the capacity to deal with the complex demands of local governance.

Matabeleland North councillors have been accused of neglecting to serve and represent their constituents and some quarters have attributed that to lack of qualifications.

“Most of the councilors I have interacted with in Binga, Lupane and Hwange are not highly qualified in terms of academics. Few have diplomas, let alone a degree. To me, this translates to the difficulty they face in executing their mandates and responding to the modern needs of residents,” said Pride Ngwenya, a local governance student at the Midlands State University and Hwange resident.

Matabeleland North’s urban areas are rapidly expanding amidst a number of significant issues that  include a lack of access to clean water, good roads, decent housing, effective sewer drainage and reticulation systems, effective storm drains, street lighting, and solid waste management systems. 

Some residents contend that it is imperative that councillors have good academic and professional credentials and a thorough understanding of urban development issues.

“Political parties need to be encouraged to select candidates for election as councillors who have higher qualifications, the current Urban Councils Act needs to be amended, and we need to go beyond political demands and demand higher academic and professional qualifications,” said Mbonisi Phiri, a resident and former teacher.

However, a resident who requested to remain anonymous argued that credentials for local authorities are a secondary issue, if they are even necessary at all.

“We are currently witnessing widespread money laundering, smuggling, corruption, and looting by mafias aligned to a certain party, while the majority suffers from poverty, a shoddy road system, and a lack of primary healthcare facilities. It is more crucial that we vote for capable leaders rather than looters with qualifications,” he said.

Speaking on the qualifications for members of the local council, Tawanda Zinyama, a lecturer at the School of Political and Administrative Studies at the University of Zimbabwe, said local councillors are crucial to maintaining effective local governance and development. Zinyama points that the current group of elected councilors has been found inadequate in every facet of local governance, including issues with corporate governance and the provision of high-quality services.

“All of Zimbabwe’s local councils convincingly and tellingly demonstrate the pathetic caliber of politicians that the population has pushed into them. Corruption plagues almost all local authorities. The council members joined local governments with essentially no knowledge of local governance, particularly how to interact with the populace.

“Councillors’ proficiency in analyzing legislation and the budget is very low. They are unable to explain the pertinent pieces of legislation, including the Urban Councils Act Chapter 29:15, the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act Chapter 29:12, and the Rural District Council Act Chapter 29:13. The local governments’ lack of expertise in budget analysis and policy formulation is regrettable,” said Zinyama.

The majority of the current generation of councilors are alleged to be benefitting from patronage and popularity.

A legal framework was adopted by the cabinet last year, enabling the government to set minimum requirements for councilors in local administrations. According to the government, this will increase service providers’ skill.

Regarding the qualifications of councilors, current statutes governing local government administration are silent.

Principles of the Rural District Councils Amendment Bill were recently approved by the Government. According to Monica Mutsvangwa, government’s information Tsar, one goal of the modifications is to require municipal and electoral authorities in Zimbabwe to be consulted by the president or minister on key local authority decisions.

In order to conform to the constitution, changes will also be made to the Regional Town and Country Planning Act and the Urban Councils Act.

According to Election Act Chapter 2:13, councilors are chosen. Sections 115 and 119 specify the minimum requirements. The Minister of Local Government determines the number of councilors needed to constitute a council. A local ward is represented by each councilor. Basic educational requirements are not necessary. The Electoral Act does not specify any minimum requirements for candidates other than the requirement that they be registered voters and residents of the ward they wish to represent.

They must be a Zimbabwean national, at least 21 years old, and ineligible if they have ever been declared bankrupt or insolvent, are a member of parliament, or have a criminal record.

The Public Sector Corporate Governance Law is about 108 pages long, while the Insolvency Bill is up to 152 pages long. Community stakeholders said all of these pieces of legislation must be read, comprehended, and meaningfully debated.

“The acts of Parliament and Bills are frequently lengthy and complex, necessitating specialized knowledge to read, comprehend, interpret, and apply them in their service delivery activities,” said Miriam Tose Mojome, a lawyer.

“They should also be able to comprehend and evaluate municipal finances, as well as deal with and discuss the numerous permission applications they come across while doing their jobs. For council members who lack the knowledge and abilities, this is a difficult if not impossible assignment. Thus, it is up to qualified and educated people to participate and seize the chances that are presented,” added Majome.

Michael Gurajena, a resident of the low density suburb of Chibondo in Hwange, said, it is the responsibility of council members to develop and create workable policies that may address socio-economic issues.

“They mobilize local energy and resources, represent the interests of the electorates, and take a broader view of the needs and potential of their wards as whole communities rather than as dispersed entities. In order to implement the numerous aspects of legislation, rules, and regulations governing local authorities, councillors must first use and comprehend the governance and implementation structures, methods, and procedures of local authorities,” said Gurajena.

Residents think that while technical experts have been hired to carry out decisions and policies, the majority of councilors do not know what they are expected to do and treat their duties as a full-time job in order to earn a steady income, amass wealth, and politically interfere with the implementation of their own decisions.

According to Zinyama, the only performance metrics that ensure manageable results and outputs are qualifications. This indicates that the chosen council members are capable of training or are trainable, and they may easily pick up new abilities and knowledge.

“Formal qualifications alone cannot arrest the unbridled corruption in local authorities, where inexperienced councillors are encouraged to enter into unholy alliances to award tenders, create deliberate hiccups in the implementation of council resolutions and decisions, and increase the cost to ratepayers,” said Zinyama.