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By Tafadzwa Muranganwa
The Zanu PF government has no desire to implement devolution, a residents’ group leader has said.
Speaking on Saturday at a belated World Press Freedom Day commemoration organised by the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Harare Chapter, Harare Residents Trust director Precious Shumba exposed how the Emmerson Mnangagwa-led administration has not been forthcoming in implementing devolution but has been deconcentrating.
“What is being hyped about as devolution is de-concentration. It is only bringing the national government to lower tiers of the state. From the onset, the ruling party during the constitutional making process was opposed to devolution and rather wanted decentralisation,” Shumba said.
“So it’s not amusing to see the Zanu PF government having no desire to implement devolution,” added the HRT boss.
The resident’s leader said that for devolution to be implemented fully there is the need to craft a law to realise it.
“The constitution provides that a devolution act be put in place so this is why the Zimbabwean government has been dilly-dallying in enacting it,” argues Shumba.
Gender activist and Informal Traders Empowerment Association (ITEA) representative Agnes Magunje rallied residents to be organised when demanding accountability from local authorities.
“Let us be organised and be able to demand services from these local authorities rather than waiting for them to dictate to us,” challenged Magunje.
Meanwhile, Misa Harare Chapter secretary general, Tendai Guvamombe said the organisation wants to continue fighting for unfiltered access to information from public bodies.
“As we celebrate World Press Freedom Day for Harare Province, access to information from public institutions is key in the course of duty for media practitioners. It is in this regard that we continue to raise awareness and advocacy on the importance of press freedom to the journalism fraternity,” says Tendai Guvamombe MISA Harare Advocacy Committee secretary general.
This year, the theme for World Press Freedom Day is “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of Expression as a Driver for all other human rights”.