President Mnangagwa decentralisation is key to national development

Decentralization is the process of distributing power or disposing functions, powers, people or things away from a central location or authority. While centralization, especially in the Government sphere, is widely studied and practiced, there is no common definition or understanding of decentralization. Whilst there have been indications by the Zanu PF Government previously to resist moves to have power and Government functions decentralized because of mainly Mugabe's dictatorial tendencies and authoritarian rule, there have been slow progress as far as development is concerned. If you compare Bulawayo with Harare you will note that Bulawayo has the worst buildings in this country, and most of the things were controlled in Harare. Parliament is in Harare, we have lucrative buildings in Harare, and even the most experienced people are moved to Harare, which is unfair as far as development is concerned.

There should be another state house in Bulawayo fully functional and I urge the Government to move Government functions in all towns and districts. As we speak we don't have a state university in Manicaland except that the idea has been newly established and endorsed. Even succession models should be moderate and allow people from different provinces to take lead in politics and development. The language of Zezuru unconquerable should not be tolerated in development. Be it that one is Ndebele or Shona, we are all equal we must share the national cake. You will find that people move from long distance to Harare the main capital in search of mere documents to be signed by a Government minister, of which this can be done at district or provincial level. Government must empower officials in districts or provinces to perform state functions and roles to avoid congestion of work. Decentralization to the tire systematic effort to delegate to the lowest levels all authority except that which can only be excessed at central points. It also means the division of a group of functions and activities into relatively autonomous units with overall authority and responsibility for their operation delegate units.

Authority Will Be Centralised

This idea of doing all the work is more of dictatorial tendencies and President Mnangagwa you can simply do away with this one by implementing the idea of decentralization of roles. Issues of passports or any other travel documents, even Visas most people travel from different places instead of allowing this work to be done in districts or towns. I urge the Government of Zimbabwe to open more districts and towns so that Government - related work can be easily centralized. We don't have to wait for the President or VPs, or even ministers for a mere signature, people from lower levels of Governance can simply assume those duties. For example, someone may have to wait for merely two weeks for a signature only and if you visit Government offices they will be a lot of files piled, and this will take even 3 years to clear their office desks, how then do we progress with development?

National Cake Will Be Shared Equally

Mugabe's previous regime has not been doing well as far sharing the national cake is concerned. When Chiadzwa diamonds were discovered even people from Manicaland never benefitted from the precious mineral. Diamonds were looted by people from other provinces. The most important thing is to enact Laws that that should ensure development in all provinces. If you look at Mutare, Bulawayo, Masvingo, Gweru and other areas most under developed because of marginalization. It is important to distribute resources equally and this will ensure development is strategically fulfilled and implemented. Poverty has hit several areas and entities mainly because of Government officials who are diverting and looting resources for selfish gains or diverting to other regions of their own choice mainly because of manipulation.

Delegation

Why would the President Chair cabinet meetings always? Mugabe used to chair all cabinet meetings precisely. It would have a negative impact on our country, which most investors can view our as anti-democratic. Why would the President go to all foreign trips? It's not necessary some can be assigned to the two Vice presidents or even ministers to cut costs and also for the president to attend to most pressing matters. International meetings can be delegated to foreign missions or ministers whilst the president can attend to critical economic matters. Delegation is also a positive way of grooming a successor. Look at what happened to Mugabe because of the so called "one centre of power" where he would assume all state roles instead of delegating some of his duties to the Vps or even ministers. I remember Mugabe would go for a month for his annual leave bringing the whole country to halt, and all Government related work was brought to halt until he came back. It is important to delegate duties to other personnel. It reduces the burden of top executives instead of travelling right round the country ministers can simply assign provincial ministers or council to handle governance and state matters. Centralization of power puts the whole authority on the shoulders of the executive and his immediate group. This reduces the time at the disposal of top executives who should concentrate on other important things. It also facilitates diversification. Diversification of products, markets and activities is facilitated. It also motivates development. When power is decentralized people or the entire civil service feel motivated. The idea of having power and resources controlled on central authority is a sign of selfish and greedy by drawing hefty allowances. Some ministers would prefer travelling country wide so that they can draw a lot of allowances, the same applies with presidents of other continents they would travel to all meetings. It is not all meetings that are important, the president must attend meetings that can benefit our economy.

Empowers the Society

Employees can be empowered by having more autonomy to make their own decisions, giving them a sense of importance and making them feel as if they have more input in the direction of the organization. It also allows them to make better use of the knowledge and experience they have gained and implement some of their own ideas. Decentralizing takes some of the burden of daily business operations off the business owner. When the owner allows others to perform such tasks as hiring new employees or ordering supplies, this frees her up to spend more time on big-picture items, such as planning for expansion or meeting with important clients. A situation may arise where the business owner must be away from the business for an extended period time because of illness or another type of emergency. A decentralized structure provides a better chance that the organization will maintain self-sufficiency because managers and employees are accustomed to working autonomously. A decentralized organization is able to make decisions more quickly than one with a centralized structure. A manager often can make a decision without having to wait for it to go up a chain of command, allowing the organization to react quickly to situations where fast action can mean the difference between gaining and losing a customer. For a growing business, decentralization can facilitate the process of expansion. For example, if expansion results in opening a new business unit in a different geographic area, decentralization allows the new unit to operate as an independent entity, meaning it can react more easily to the specific needs of the area, such as deciding to sell products that appeal to the local market.

Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo writes in his personal capacity as the Head of Southern Institute of Policy Analysis and Research – SIPAR TRUST, which is responsible for policy Analysis and Research. He is also an academic and researcher. He holds a BA, M.A from Solusi University, and he also holds a Masters of Development Studies from University of Lusaka, Zambia. He is currently enrolled at University of Kwazulu Natal University in South Africa (PHD in Development Studies). He is also an advisor to many financial and political institutions within and outside Zimbabwe. He can be contacted at southerninstitutepar@gmail.com