News / National
Council minutes in local languages
30 Aug 2014 at 06:01hrs | Views
Local authorities will soon be expected to provide full council meeting minutes in local languages for the benefit of all their respective residents.
The new proposed draft on local authorities states that council minutes should be produced in local languages to promote transparency and openness, a move which most local authorities shot down, citing extra manpower and, therefore, extra costs.
Speaking during a consultative meeting held in Harare this week, various local authorities and stakeholders said there was need to revise the bill as the proposed move was expensive.
Most council minutes are produced in English.
Section 53 of the proposed draft bill states: "For the purposes of transparency and openness, a local authority shall cause minutes referred to in subsection (1) to be summarised in a language commonly used in the area of its jurisdiction.
"The minutes kept of proceedings of a local authority or a committee shall be recorded in a book kept for the purpose, or on loose sheets of paper which shall subsequently be bound into a book.
"The minutes of a meeting of a local authority or a committee shall, if in order, be confirmed as soon as possible and when so confirmed, shall be signed by the chairperson of the meeting at which they are confirmed."
Stakeholders said some areas like Beitbridge had five local languages and it would be difficult to reproduce at them once in numerous languages.
The new proposed draft on local authorities states that council minutes should be produced in local languages to promote transparency and openness, a move which most local authorities shot down, citing extra manpower and, therefore, extra costs.
Speaking during a consultative meeting held in Harare this week, various local authorities and stakeholders said there was need to revise the bill as the proposed move was expensive.
Most council minutes are produced in English.
Section 53 of the proposed draft bill states: "For the purposes of transparency and openness, a local authority shall cause minutes referred to in subsection (1) to be summarised in a language commonly used in the area of its jurisdiction.
"The minutes kept of proceedings of a local authority or a committee shall be recorded in a book kept for the purpose, or on loose sheets of paper which shall subsequently be bound into a book.
"The minutes of a meeting of a local authority or a committee shall, if in order, be confirmed as soon as possible and when so confirmed, shall be signed by the chairperson of the meeting at which they are confirmed."
Stakeholders said some areas like Beitbridge had five local languages and it would be difficult to reproduce at them once in numerous languages.
Source - The Zim Mail
