News / National
Suspended Mutare Mayor backs devolution
04 May 2012 at 12:58hrs | Views
Suspended Mutare Mayor Brian James has backed devolution of power saying it was the answer to development and local democracy.
James was speaking at a stakeholders meeting held in Mutare Hellenic Community Hall recently under the theme "Strengthening local resource management through decentralisation and constitutionalisation".
"In a devolved system, companies should be obliged to plough back to the community rather than the current system which only relies on the companies' discretion to uplift the lives of the communities from which they are exploiting minerals," said James.
He described Mbada Diamond Company's sponsoring of football as an example of a 'tokenistic and public relations stunt' rather than comprehensive and genuine act of ploughing back to the community.
Stakeholders noted that centralization of power has fueled corruption and hindered local development and democracy.
They condemned processing of diamonds outside Manicaland saying it robbed them of an opportunity for employment. Participants called for harmonization of pieces of legislation governing natural resources at the same time urging government to conduct extensive consultations with locals rather than partisan leaders in any decision to be made that affects them.
Civil society was urged to increase civic education so as to curb citizens' vulnerability to manipulation leading to exploitation of their resources as has been the case and also to empower citizens ahead of the coming referendum.
James was speaking at a stakeholders meeting held in Mutare Hellenic Community Hall recently under the theme "Strengthening local resource management through decentralisation and constitutionalisation".
"In a devolved system, companies should be obliged to plough back to the community rather than the current system which only relies on the companies' discretion to uplift the lives of the communities from which they are exploiting minerals," said James.
He described Mbada Diamond Company's sponsoring of football as an example of a 'tokenistic and public relations stunt' rather than comprehensive and genuine act of ploughing back to the community.
Stakeholders noted that centralization of power has fueled corruption and hindered local development and democracy.
They condemned processing of diamonds outside Manicaland saying it robbed them of an opportunity for employment. Participants called for harmonization of pieces of legislation governing natural resources at the same time urging government to conduct extensive consultations with locals rather than partisan leaders in any decision to be made that affects them.
Civil society was urged to increase civic education so as to curb citizens' vulnerability to manipulation leading to exploitation of their resources as has been the case and also to empower citizens ahead of the coming referendum.
Source - Byo24News
