News / Regional
Zanu-PF, MDC-T paying lip service on devolution, says MDC
02 Apr 2013 at 06:23hrs | Views
THE Welshman Ncube-led MDC claims it is the only party with the capacity to implement devolution of power and has accused Zanu-PF and the MDC-T of paying lip service to the governance model due to "fear of the unknown".
However, MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora yesterday said had his party not campaigned for devolution, the concept would not have found its way into the Constitutional Bill gazetted last week.
Addressing a Press conference in Bulawayo last week, MDC spokesperson Nhlanhla Dube said although devolution had received support from six out of the country's 10 provinces and been included in the draft constitution, the other parties were not too keen to implement it.
"The devil is now in the implementation," said Dube.
"Zanu-PF will try to limit its implementation because they don't believe in the ideology. They made it clear that if they win the elections, they are going to amend the constitution. MDC-T won't be able to implement it the way the people would want it to be because they don't understand the ideology.
"We are the only party that believes that devolution of power is the only answer to most of the issues. Devolution of power is geographical. It has nothing to do with surnames, but everything to do with the locals on how they can benefit from the resources in their area. To us, it's ideological and not anything to do with the elections."
Mwonzora said the MDC could not claim credit for devolution because the party boycotted the last stages of the constitution-drafting process.
"We are very much competent and we won our insistence on devolution in the constitution," he said.
"The concept will be successfully implemented in the way that will satisfy everybody under an MDC-T-led government because we are the authors of devolution of power."
Zanu-PF national spokesperson Rugare Gumbo could not be reached for comment yesterday, but the party is on record describing the concept of devolution as divisive.
However, MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora yesterday said had his party not campaigned for devolution, the concept would not have found its way into the Constitutional Bill gazetted last week.
Addressing a Press conference in Bulawayo last week, MDC spokesperson Nhlanhla Dube said although devolution had received support from six out of the country's 10 provinces and been included in the draft constitution, the other parties were not too keen to implement it.
"The devil is now in the implementation," said Dube.
"Zanu-PF will try to limit its implementation because they don't believe in the ideology. They made it clear that if they win the elections, they are going to amend the constitution. MDC-T won't be able to implement it the way the people would want it to be because they don't understand the ideology.
"We are the only party that believes that devolution of power is the only answer to most of the issues. Devolution of power is geographical. It has nothing to do with surnames, but everything to do with the locals on how they can benefit from the resources in their area. To us, it's ideological and not anything to do with the elections."
Mwonzora said the MDC could not claim credit for devolution because the party boycotted the last stages of the constitution-drafting process.
"We are very much competent and we won our insistence on devolution in the constitution," he said.
"The concept will be successfully implemented in the way that will satisfy everybody under an MDC-T-led government because we are the authors of devolution of power."
Zanu-PF national spokesperson Rugare Gumbo could not be reached for comment yesterday, but the party is on record describing the concept of devolution as divisive.
Source - newsday
