Senator Sengezo Tshabangu has urged the government to move with speed in putting in place a framework that will enable provincial councillors to work.
Zimbabwe through its constitution that was adopted in 2013 introduced provincial councils. However, they have not been able to work due to a lack of enabling legislation such as the Devolution Bill.
Tshabangu a self-appointed Citizens Coalition for Change interim secretary general said it was sad that in 2013, he was a provincial councillor but they were never sworn in to do their duties.
He said he was representing the people of Matabeleland on paper. The self-styled politician blamed Zanu PF ministers for dragging with the bill.
Tshabangu who appointed himself Senator added that he suspects that some ministers are sabotaging President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s efforts.
Below is the full text of his debate in the Senate.
ENACTMENT OF A LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUNCTIONALITY OF PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS
HONOURABLE SENATOR SENGEZO TSHABANGU: Thank you Mr. President. Allow me, before I make my presentation, to extend a warm greeting, warm, how do I call it in Ndebele. I am trying to figure the name in Ndebele. Just to congratulate women, all women to celebrate their day. This is a month for women, so we need to recognise them wherever they are in their spaces that we love you. We are what we are today because of you. We wish you well. – [HON. SENATORS, Hear, hear.] –
Mr. President, on 2nd day of May 2013, we were celebrating our birth, we were born again in Zimbabwe. We ushered a new Constitution by Zimbabweans and for Zimbabweans. We went right across the length and breadth of our spaces, canvassing, asking the communities through traditional leaders, churches, students, community leaders, opinion leaders, family units set ups and we came up with the Constitution. On this day, when every information was collected, Zimbabwe was born again. We said goodbye to the foreign constitution, to the foreign ideas and we said this is the new Zimbabwe.
Inasmuch as we celebrated our independence in 1980, where Zimbabweans, regardless of their political persuasion, came together and celebrated that we are Zimbabweans, we are happy that we have achieved one-man one-farm-one-vote, that was equally celebrated Mr. President, when we ushered this new Constitution that is governing this new Republic that I have become a Member of Senate, and I am proud to be in this new dispensation Mr. President. – [HON SENATORS: Hear, hear.] –
Mr. President, we have not, to date, implemented what we celebrated in 2013 that let us have the Provincial Council. We have not elected a framework to this date such that Provincial Governments can govern their affairs to this date Mr. President. I was a product of the Provincial Council in 2013, that was an old era of Zimbabwe but in 2013, I became one of the first in Matabeleland to represent the people of Matabeleland on paper and the five years elapsed without being sworn in. Those were the ills of the past Government. Those were the ills of the past regime.
Fast forward Mr. President, in 2017, we saw the political dynamics, political change which we all celebrated that we were being suppressed by our own. We were liberated when this dispensation was born and Mr. President, we are still talking about the implementation of that clause 164 which is very critical because it is the construction of a devolved Government. It is a construction of a new phenomenon which is going to ease the national Government, but to this date Mr. President, it has not been done.
To this date, the Minister of Justice is still crafting from 2013, a framework such that it is going to usher the new Provincial Governments. Just take a leaf from our borders in South Africa, they manage their own affairs at provincial level. We really enjoy seeing people exercising and putting their potential as Provincial Governments, tapping the local talent at that Provincial Government and we admire, we envy to be in South Africa.
History tells us that developing countries with this kind of set up develop, they really progress well. Mr. President, is this new dispensation afraid to promote a democratic, effective, transparent, accountable and coherent Government? Is this new dispensation afraid to preserve and foster peace and national unity in Zimbabwe? Is this new dispensation afraid to recognise the right of communities to manage their own affairs and to develop their own communities? Is this new dispensation afraid to ensure equitable sharing of local and national resources?
Is this new dispensation Mr. President, afraid to transfer responsibilities and resources in order to establish sound financial base for each provincial council and local authority? These are the questions that arise from this Constitution.
Mr. President, I am a product of devolution. I believe in devolution. Where I grew up, my mother and father devolved the power of authority in all our families, we experienced that. It cannot be winner take all Mr. President. Our Ministers in this second republic are shooting down the excellent vision of His Excellency so that he fails.
He fails because he does not have adequate Ministers who are able to implement the Constitution. Vatotanga here maMinisters kurova bhora musango, because I do not believe that. I have seen his Excellency in each and every community. I never saw that under the previous regime.
Today, he is accessible in Bulawayo, every day you will see the President there in Bulawayo, that means he believes in devolution. The previous President never slept in Bulawayo at State House because he never believed that Bulawayo was part of Zimbabwe, but His Excellency believes that Bulawayo, Marondera or Masvingo are part of Zimbabwe.
Where is Comrade Ziyambi to enforce and make sure that his vision is going to see the day of light or vaita subbotage? Isusu tiripoka Mr. President kana President ashaiwa vanhu tiripo.
I was a Provincial Councillor in 2013, our term elapsed without being sworn in says Tshabangu
I was a Provincial Councillor in 2013, our term elapsed without being sworn in says Tshabangu
