“Devolution of power an idea whose time has come”, Hon. Moyo

Minister of State Enterprises and Parastatals, Honourable Godern Moyo has said it is inevitable that devolution of power should be enshrined in the Zimbabwean constitution and as such debates should now be centred on the nature of devolution that Zimbabweans want.

Speaking at the recently held conference on Devolution and Democracy, Hon. Moyo dismissed anti-devolutionists saying their arguments are fallacious and illogical. He also dismissed the notion that devolution will bring about ethnic division saying Zimbabwe has had the worst human rights abuses under a centralised state. Making reference to Rwanda that adopted devolution as a solution to a genocide, he said;

“Devolution is in fact a solution to division because it recognises plurality and multiplicity of voices and thoughts. The centralised system has been marginalising some sectors of the country and that is why we have people who are now even calling for cessation.”

Moyo said that the argument that Zimbabwe is too small for devolution is unfounded because countries far much smaller both in geography and demography than Zimbabwe are devolved states, a case in point are countries like Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda as well as Switzerland. “Even in terms of the economy Zimbabwe cannot be considered small because in terms of per capita it is one of the strongest economies in Africa,” he added.    

Devolution of power has been identified as one of the issues that deserve space in the new constitution as it will lead Zimbabwe to a modern democratic state.

Giving a legal analysis that is focused on minimum conditions to make devolution work, Dr. Alex Magaisa underlined some of the salient cons associated with devolution of power. Shifting of responsibilities could lead to central government neglecting some of its duties and blaming the local authorities. Dr. Magaisa said that by devolving power, government would be allowing people to be part of making decisions that affect them and it is a good thing that the issue is being discussed during a defining moment in Zimbabwe’s history.

“I call this a defining moment because Zimbabwe’s governance system will never be the same again after COPAC completes the mandate of leading the constitution making process,” said Dr. Magaisa, adding that there is the assumption that devolution is about functions only but it should be about both power and functions. He emphasised that systems are usually not the problem but the individuals given the obligation to exercise power. Therefore it becomes imperative that as the nation debates on devolution, effective systems of governance should be implemented so as curb effects of mismanagement of resources.

The concept of devolution was interrogated by academics, politicians and civic leaders at a conference held under the theme, “Deepening Democracy Through Devolution” where it was agreed that development on its own is not enough and democracy without development is equally void.   The conference was convened by the NYDT in partnership with BPRA and Bulawayo Agenda.       

Devolution is Economically Practical in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s resource base has the potential to sustain all provinces in the country under a devolved state as long as there is accountability in the exploitation of those resources, a renowned economist, Dr. Eric Bloch has said.

Speaking during a Zimbabwe Devolution and Democracy conference in Bulawayo last weekend, Dr. Block said, “There is a general misconception that Harare is the major economic base of Zimbabwe but this is only because it is where all the diplomats, senior government officials and company headquarters are. The glowing picture of economic activity is true for each province in the country.”

He said that Zimbabwe’s economy has the potential of being the fifth strongest in Africa because of the immense resource base and geographic advantage that it is located to be the ideal supplier of sub-Saharan Africa. He highlighted the availability of minerals, tourism, agriculture, manufacturing as well a highly skilled labour base as key elements of the economy that make the economy potentially one of the most vibrant in the continent.

Dr. Eric Block making a presentation during the conference

During the conference a number of concerns were raised with regards to the concentration of administrative and financial authority in the capital with a negative impact of even development in Zimbabwe. Speaking at the same conference, Mr Farai Maguwu, an Alison Des Forges award winner, said that “The politicisation of natural resources has led to those resources only benefiting a few individuals in Zimbabwe.  There is no accountability in the current centralised system of governance to the extent that no one knows how much of those minerals are being extracted. Those natural resources are currently not even benefiting the local communities in which they are extracted,” he said.

There was a general consensus that a localised government is closer to the people and is therefore bound to be more efficient in addressing their needs.

The Zimbabwe Devolution and Democracy conference that was organised by NYDT, in partnership with BPRA and Bulawayo Agenda ran under the theme “Deepening Democracy Through Devolution”. The Conference saw renowned academics, government officials and civic actors interrogating the concept of devolution as a way of facilitating effective and efficient governance of Zimbabwe.