New parliament to focus on devolution

THE promulgation of a law to complete the implementation of devolution power is expected to take centre stage when Parliament resumes sitting, the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi, has said.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, in the run up to the July 30 harmonised elections, said, given a mandate, his Government would prioritise the implementation of devolution of power in accordance with the Constitution.

The implementation of devolution of power would see the establishment of provincial councils whose members were announced last week along with winners in the elections.

In Matabeleland North, Dorah Msimanga, Maphosa Nqabayezwe, Sibongile Ngwenya, Rabson Ncube and Princess Shoko will represent Zanu-PF in the provincial council while MDC Alliance will be represented by Ms Caroline Ndlovu, Ms Sharon Ndlovu, Ms Chiratidzo Mudimba, Mr George Siatshuma and Mr Charles Ncube.

In Matabeleland South, Rolendi Ncube, Misheck Hadebe, Ndlovu Jonnat, Sophia Ndlovu, Elizabeth Ndiweni and Vimbai Chokovore will represent Zanu-PF while the MDC Alliance will have Mr Jerow Mtsabo Habvane, Mr Gugu Ncube, Ms Learny Ndlovu and Zanele Ncube.

Metropolitan provinces of Bulawayo and Harare do not have elected provincial council members as outlined by the Constitution.

Instead, they will have Metropolitan councils chaired by their respective Mayors.

In an interview yesterday, Minister Ziyambi said the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing is working on the legal frameworks which will be tabled before Parliament.

"The Minister of Local Government (July Moyo) is dealing with principles of that deal (implementation of devolution). It's one of those things that he needs to do as soon as Parliament sits because if you go into the Constitution, you will find out that there has to be legislation that has to give effect to provincial councils as they are defined," said Ziyambi.

"That is the function of the Ministry of Local Government. Currently, we do not have that legislation and the Minister is working on that and how it is supposed to operate."

President Mnangagwa said his Government would, upon winning the July 30 elections, introduce provincial councils in line with constitutional provisions for devolution of power.

He said while the country has a decentralised central Government, the devolution still needs to be implemented.

This is a shift from the previous administration led by former President Mr Robert Mugabe that ignored the clause calling for devolution of power.

"Devolution would require the surrendering of some amount of power to the provinces under the provincial councils in terms of our Constitution to give provinces authority to manage their economies and then the provincial ministers' role will change, it will be an economic role," the President said while addressing a Zanu-PF rally in Matabeleland South in June.

"They must ensure that the GDP of their provinces grows, they must look at the resources of their provinces and find best ways of exploiting these resources to benefit their respective provinces."