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Ishemunyoro Chingwere Business Reporter
The much-anticipated devolution and decentralisation programme, which is expected to give fresh impetus to national development, will draw from the overall national economic development strategy, Government has said.

The need to feed off the linchpin national development programme, is contained in the recently launched Devolution and Decentralisation Policy, which spells out critical steps to be followed towards the attainment of this governance strategy.

President Mnangagwa has already set the tone for the country’s economic strategy by setting ‘Vision-2030’, through which Zimbabwe is angling for an upper middle income economy status.

It is against this background that Government, through the new policy has directed that local authorities must be guided by national development plans when crafting their individual development plans.

To this end, the expectation from Government is that all local authorities will draw development plans that clearly stipulate steps that have the potential to achieve upper middle income earning status.

Local authorities are expected to draw strategies that will foster rapid infrastructure development on the back of massive investment.

This investment, it is envisaged, will come from public-private partnerships and foreign direct investment (FDI) among other sources.

“Notably, it is a requirement that local authorities exercising devolved powers should take into account National Development Plans in crafting their own Local Development Plans,” reads the recently adopted policy.

“Furthermore, such a dispensation will encourage intra-local authorities cooperation to achieve higher economies of scale in plan implementation outcomes.

“The Devolution and Decentralisation Policy recognises the potential of various economic activities across the country’s Provinces which can constitute viable regional development plans.

“Implementation of such plans will need to be supported with requisite financial and technical support for infrastructure development from Government, local and foreign investors, as well as public-private investment partnerships,” notes Government in the policy document.

As part of its contribution, Government has committed to distribute 5 percent of money from the consolidated national revenue pool towards funding the devolution and decentralisation programme.

These funds will, however, be subjected to strict adherence to good corporate governance and accountability standards as a means to curtail corruption that has of late dogged local authorities.

Government recently launched the policy document, that fleshed out the constitutional requirements and spelled out strategies for the successful implementation of the national agenda to promote development across the country’s 10 provinces.

The policy document details the implementation framework, local Government structures, devolved functions, citizen participation, devolution and Vision 2030. It also covers financing resources, role clarity and devolved service delivery, staffing for the devolved mandates, and financial and administrative capacity among other key deliverables.

In his foreword, President Mnangagwa said devolution was adopted as a key component of the new 2013 Constitution.

Devolution ensures the preservation of national unity in Zimbabwe, prevention of all forms of disunity and secessionism and the democratic participation in Government by Zimbabweans. So there must be devolution of power and responsibilities to lower tiers of Government.