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Michael Magoronga, Midlands Correspondent 

THE Minister of Local Government and Public Works, July Moyo, has directed all local authorities to wait for tomorrow’s presentation of the national budget statement before crafting their own council budgets.

Speaking during a tour of Kwekwe City Council and Zibagwe Rural District Council on Monday, the Minister said local authority budgets must draw inspiration from the broader national economic vision from central Government.

“You cannot have a budget before you hear the contents of the national budget. I urge all local authorities to first listen to the contents of the national budget to be presented on Thursday (tomorrow). That way you as a local authority can then say what you can come up with,” said Minister Moyo.

He quickly ordered Zibagwe RDC to resubmit their 2020 budget after the chief executive officer, Mr Farayi Machaya, had indicated that they were already done with the budget. A number of local authorities including Bulawayo and Victoria Falls have already done budget proposals while others like Beitbridge, Gwanda and Masvingo are finalising stakeholder consultations. 

Minister Moyo challenged local authorities to follow the law and implement laid down Government policy on development to avoid derailing.

“This is not the time for thinking, thinking was done for you when the guiding principles were formulated. Just follow that which was laid down for you, simple. You will not have any problem,” he said. 

“The problem we have now is that of town clerks and CEOs who want to experiment and think too much. You end up doing the wrong thing, simply follow laid down procedures of doing things and you won’t go wrong.”

Minister Moyo also chided Government departments and non-governmental organisations for failing to complement local authorities in implementing Government’s devolution agenda.

“We must all work together towards devolution. Devolution is not for councils only, it’s for everyone working in synchronisation. No government department should be left behind. What local authorities are there to do is only to spearhead the process,” he said.

“President Mnangagwa is so concerned about devolution. I hear there are some Government officials who don’t want to work with councils. They should come on board so that they strengthen the devolution powers given to council.

“Every Government official should work on their devolution goals according to their line of competence,” said the Minister.

Like Government and councils, he said, NGOs have a mandate to support the devolution drive and should not do programmes that are divorced from the national vision. 

Minister Moyo said there was a need for local authorities to develop a database of resources within their jurisdiction, such as mines and prime land, bearing in mind that Government policy demands that communities benefit more from such resources. Minister Moyo toured the two local authorities as part of a familiarisation and appraisal on devolution programmes.