Provincial Ministers should give state of the province addresses

Pursuant to the fulfillment and implementation of provisions of Chapter 14 Section 270 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe as well as the founding values and principles of the country as enunciated in Chapter 1 Section 3 subsections (1)(h) and (2)(g) of the same Constitution read together with Chapter 2 Section 9(1) which speaks on good governance;

We Campaigners for Devolution call on the Parliament of Zimbabwe and Executive to cause the Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs in all 10 provinces to do annual State of the Province Addresses.

The importance of the State of the Province address is to:

1. Give the citizens of that province the yearly provincial development plan and agenda;

2. Update and report to the citizens of the province on the progress made in that year regarding the planned programmes and agenda;

3. Ensure government departments in the province are accountable to the citizens of that province;

4. Accord the citizens the right and opportunity to interact with government development programmes and service delivery through a democratic participatory good governance culture;

Who should attend the State of the Province Address:

A) Firstly, there is a REPRESENTATIVES CHAMBER where Members of Parliament for that Province, selected Chiefs representing each district within the province, Council Chairpersons and Mayors of local authorities in the province, Rural District CEOs from councils in the province, District Administrators in the province, Provincial Heads of Government Departments in the province, civic society representatives, church representatives, leaders of political parties that contested in the council and parliamentary elections in province and media representatives shall all sit in this Chamber. These shall ask questions on the address and make inputs based on each sector.

B) Secondly, there is a public gallery where all members of the public are free to attend but cannot participate in the discussions directly.

It is our undertaking that this platform be created for the citizens of Zimbabwe in the provincial capitals or convenient venues within the province annually and be broadcast live by the state media (both radio and television) for the purposes of the people that will not have managed to attend.

Expenses to the address should be self-funded and copies of the Provincial Minister's Address should be made public before and after the address.

Such platforms are not only new to Zimbabwe as countries such as South Africa and Kenya are already having them and they are proving to be excellent for public administration and good governance.

Mayibuye I – Devolution (…. CAMPAIGNERS FOR DEVOLUTION) Email: devolutioncampaign@gmail.com Twitter: @DevolutionC