Devolution is a new phenomenon which Zimbabwe has incorporated in its constitution through Section 264 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe of 2013. This is as a result of the urge for participatory governance to devolve power. Over the years, local government has been informed by a plethora of pieces of legislation which have not provided an enabling environment for citizen participation in public affairs. An analysis of Section 264 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe has revealed that devolution has the propensity to enhance transparency, efficiency and effectiveness as well as improve responsibilities of central government to provincial and local level.
Major objectives of the policy are to promote in Zimbabwe sustainable, representative, accountable, participatory, inclusive governance and socio-economic development. This should also enable for a faster efficient and effective response to challenges in the delivery of public services, development, democracy, national unity and peace. Zimbabwe already has a remarkable degree of administrative decentralization which needs strengthening and adequately resourcing to ensure full implementation of devolution mandates.
Implementation of devolution is being driven at the highest political level given that the President chairs the Cabinet Committee on Devolution. The Auditor General, the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, have critical roles to play in fostering transparency and accountability in implementing devolution to the lower tiers of government. However, weak institutional capacities particularly the adequacy of personnel with the requisite skills and competences to monitor the implementation of devolution or tracking the utilization of devolved budgets can compromise the achievement of devolution objectives.
Government policy documents, including the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) and national budgets have identified devolution as a key pillar to achieving the goal of Vision 2030 which is of attaining an upper middle income country status. This will be achieved through empowering of communities to manage their own affairs, through transfer of some governmental authority and responsibilities to Provincial and Metropolitan Councils and Local Authorities. Thus, devolution is viewed as a means to an end which enables sustainable and equitable development of Zimbabwe.
Being towards a Prosperous and Empowered Upper Middle Income Society by 2030, the objectives of the devolution policy seeks to achieve good governance, maintain Zimbabwe as a single peaceful State, enhance citizens’ participation in the management of local affairs and development, provide a mechanism for resource sharing and enable fiscal capacitating of the lower tiers of Government. In this regard, the Devolution and Decentralisation Policy advocates for preservation of unity across the country while promoting citizenry and communities’ democratic participation in Government programmes. This calls for citizens to be involved in activities that foster the equitable allocation of national resources and the participation of local communities in the determination of development priorities within their areas.
Implementation of devolution policy in Zimbabwe is also seen as a means to deepen democracy through empowering citizens to participate in the design and implementation of local development initiatives. Thus, devolving powers to lower tiers of government is expected to speed up decision making processes to achieve better development outcomes. Implementation of devolution needs to be informed by key success factors and avoidable practices distilled from other country’s experiences. The World Bank in 2001 observed that for devolution to be a success, central government should be involved with the overall policy, setting standards and oversight including auditing, while the lower tiers of government focus on infrastructure development and service delivery. For example, the technical specifications for infrastructure such as bridge construction might come from a higher level of government whereas construction and maintenance will be undertaken at the local level.
The Government of Zimbabwe has taken a decision to implement economic devolution as espoused in the Constitution of Zimbabwe to ensure decentralisation of power to provincial, metropolitan and local authorities. The Constitutional provisions on devolution are yet to be fully implemented. Subsidiary legislation and policy guidelines are still being crafted. Citizens have high expectations on the prospects of devolution to improve transparency and accountability within the devolved governance structures, services delivery and economic development at both local and national levels.
Questions have been raised as to how the ruling elites, with their insatiable appetite for power, will manage to cede power to provinces. If successful, this will be the first time that such a development was experienced in the country. What will further complicate issues is the historical nature of some of the ruling elites whose approach to governance is restrictive. The delay in implementing devolution has also been an indication of unwillingness by the government to cede power to provinces. Now that the new political dispensation has shown some semblance of political will to devolve powers to provinces, it remains to be seen whether this willingness is genuine or just a facade.
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