The Municipality of Kariba titivates its strategic plan

The Municipality of Kariba has always remained number one in its approach of engaging its stakeholders and clientele this time by successfully reviewing its strategic plan which mainly focused on the next two years whilst building up for the usual 5 years. The management, 9 elected councillors, workers committee representatives, residents associations (KIARRA & KURA), district administrator's office and the media houses (Nyaminyami FM and Patsaka-Nyaminyami) had a one and half days meeting at Twin River Inn in Karoi which is in the nearest town to Kariba. The choice of the venue was to maximise on concentration away from home with no participant occupying self by home issues. The Strategic plan is fundamentally a 3 to 5 year plan that identifies the fundamental priorities and outcomes to be achieved by the municipality over that time.  In his opening remarks the Town Clerk Mr Richard Kamhoti acknowledged the need for a five year strategy emphasising and underpinning the reasons behind concentrating on what was ultimate for Kariba in the next 2 years guided by new legislation pertaining to good governance in line with the new dispensation and the government vision 2030. The Strategic Plan will provide Council and Staff with a common focus, priorities, outcomes and strategies to be pursued over the term of this plan.

The review and planning meeting gave the Municipal councillors elected for five-year term to look at what they will collectively anticipate to accomplish as a council during their time, what they want their legacy to be. The team that gathered had an opportunity to shape the direction (setting; priorities/choices), focus, alignment with longer term plans, council and administration on the same page, direction for departmental plans/budgets and looking at the key component of accountability relationship between TC and Council.

The Twin River Inn meeting came after the councillors had managed to hold some ward consultations whilst the residents associations also had some consultations with residents to highlight their needs, problems and expectations. The Municipality of Kariba has 9 administrative wards and gained Municipal status in 1999 from having been a town council since 1982, is situated in the Zambezi Valley being a gateway to Zambia.  The town boast of being a resort with its economy dependent on one of the biggest manmade lake Kariba where fishing, tourism, electricity generation and crocodile farming are the main economic activities. Kariba is also situated in a National Parks and Wildlife area where wild animals roam freely in the town with an abundant water supply from the lake Kariba.

The one and half days saw demure discussions looking at the PESTLEG (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental and Governance) and the SWOT (strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis with each councillor managing to get a alcove to outline the needs, problems and expectations from their wards.