The Sunday Mail
Vision 2030
Allen Choruma
THE launch of National Development Plan 1 (NDS1) on January 1 2021 coincided with the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic which led to the countrywide national lockdown aimed at slowing down the spread of the deadly corona virus.
Fellow Zimbabweans, this pandemic has devastated us beyond any measure. There is no family, community or workplace that has not been affected by Covid-19. We have all lost someone we loved, someone we knew, or someone we worked or interacted with.
Covid-19 threatens to derail our national development plans as the effects of the pandemic have a huge impact on all facets of our economy. The launch of NDS1 could not have come at a less opportune moment than when the country is affected by this global pandemic.
As Zimbabweans, we are known as a nation that perseveres, a nation that doesn’t give up even in the face of adversities. The spirit of our people refuses to be defeated. We continue to show solidarity and compassion to those who are in distress, those who are bereaved and have lost loved ones and those who are in pain and have lost hope for the future.
As a proud and courageous nation, let us not be consumed by fear. Let’s rise above it. Let’s make year 2021, as the year we defeat the scourge of Covid-19. Let’s make 2021 the year in which we stand resolute, rallying behind our President and Government- focussing on the road ahead, the road towards Vision 2030.
After the lockdown, we should all rise up — go back to work and be productive, till the land and produce food, go into the mine shafts and mine our minerals, go to the classroom and teach our children, go to the hospitals and heal the sick, go back to the pulpit and spread the message of love and unity.
Our economic development plans can only be implemented by us Zimbabweans. NDS1 is not foreign, it’s our own national development and social transformation programme and we should all play our part to ensure that we achieve its goals.
NDS1: People’s development programme
Let’s not look at NDS1 as a Government programme. No — it’s our programme, the people’s programme. Zimbabwe does not belong to others; we should not talk down our country as if we do not live in it, or as if it’s not our home. Zimbabwe is our home – the home of our ancestors, the home of our children and future generations.
NDS1 seeks to spread development to all corners of Zimbabwe. NDS1 is an inclusive development plan that seeks to spread wealth to all corners of Zimbabwe, a programme that seeks to bring everyone on board, without leaving anyone behind.
Under NDS1, development will be taken to where the people reside, to all provinces, districts and communities throughout our great nation. Development in Zimbabwe is going to be devolved or decentralised so that it can benefit all people in all corners of the country.
Equally, all of us Zimbabweans will be required to play our role in the development of our country by participating in the formulation and implementation of development programmes and plans.
No one is going to be spectator, as citizens we all have rights and obligations under NDS1. We all have a national duty to play in the development of our country irrespective of where we reside, be it rural or urban area. This is what devolution or decentralisation means.
Constitution
Our national Constitution recognises devolution or decentralisation of development as our national aspiration. Section 13, of the Constitution, which I will quote in its full extent, sets out our national development goals as follows:
- National development
(1) The State and all its institutions of Government at every level must endeavour to facilitate rapid and equitable development, and in particular must take measures to-
(a) Promote private initiative and self-reliance,
(b) Foster agricultural, commercial, industrial, technological and scientific development,
(c) Foster the development of industrial and commercial enterprises in order to empower Zimbabwean citizens, and
(d) Bring about balanced development of the different areas of Zimbabwe, in particular a proper balance in the development of rural and urban areas.
(2) Measures referred to in this section must involve the people in the formulation and implementation of development plans and programmes that affect them.
(3) Measures referred to in this section must protect and enhance the right of the people, particularly women, to equal opportunities in development.
(4)The State must ensure that local communities benefit from the resources in their areas.”
Section 18 (2), “Fair regional representation”, further provides that: “The State and all institutions and agencies of Government at every level must take practical measures to ensure that all local communities have equitable access to resources to promote their development.”
NDS1: devolution and decentralisation
NDS1 is aligned to the provisions of the Constitution as it seeks to facilitate rapid, equitable and balanced development of rural and urban areas. Under Chapter 11, section 720, NDS1 provides for devolution and decentralisation as espoused under Vision 2030.
Sections 710-712 of NDS1 provide as follows:
- Devolution is one of the values espoused in Vision 2030, upholding the tenets enshrined in the Constitution of providing for the development of powers and responsibilities to competent Provincial, Metropolitan Councils and Local Authorities.
- Devolution seeks to make the system of governance community based and people centred by enhancing community participation in making decisions on local development issues that affect them and in the exercise of Government powers, whilst upholding the preservation of national unity.
- This signifies a new way of governance in the Second Republic where, decentralisation is a key feature and strategy for non-discriminatory and just governance as well as inclusive and transformative socio-economic development.
Devolution structures
The devolution structures that will allow people to participate in the formulation and implementation of development programmes in their areas are enshrined in the Constitution and our national laws.
The Government itself has started devolving its administrative structures, that is to say the systems of public service and administration. The Government has already started administrative decentralisation by moving some of its administrative functions to provincial and district levels to allow people throughout the country easy access to Government services.
The Government has also transferred some of its administrative functions to local authorities, i.e. Urban Councils and Rural District Councils, who are in close contact with the people. Local Authorities direct and control development in areas where they have jurisdiction.
Metropolitan and Provincial Councils, being integral structures under devolution, will also assume a key developmental under NDS1.
Government has already approved the Devolution and Decentralisation policy which will guide the implementation of the Devolution and Decentralisation process, in particular the transfer of power and resources to Provincial and Metropolitan Councils and Local Authorities to spearhead economic and social development in their respective jurisdictions.
Devolution, as stated above, will not only decentralise power but also transfer resources from central Government, the Treasury, allowing Provincial and Metropolitan Councils and Local Authorities to leverage on both national and local resources (resources that they generate in their areas of jurisdiction).
As part of the transfer of power from central Government, the Government intends to implement a wide range of strategies, including, but not limited to the following:
- Formulation and enactment of necessary legal frameworks to facilitate devolution.
- Monitoring compliance to laws such as Public Finance Management Act and Public Entities Corporate Governance Act, Public Procurement Act etc.
- Capacity building in terms of human capital, financial and ICT systems.
- Improve the ease of doing business in provinces.
- Provision of Provincial Development Plans in line with NDS1.
- Investment promotion.
- Programs to improve inclusive governance and socio-economic development.
The series of articles on NDS1 will continue in future articles.
(Acknowledgement: NDS1 (1 January 2021-31 December 2025).
Allen Choruma writes in his personal capacity and be contacted on email: [email protected]
