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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
RURAL District Councils are crafting a five-year policy document which will complement Government’s devolution strategy meant to promote development at grassroots level.

Government is in the process of implementing devolution of power to provinces and has allocated $310 million to fund the programme.

RDC leaders yesterday met in Bulawayo to map the way forward and elect a new executive for their umbrella body, the Association of Rural District Councils of Zimbabwe (ARDCZ).

In an interview on the sidelines of the meeting, ARDCZ acting secretary general Ms Netsai Makoni said it was important for local authorities to sing from the same hymn book with Government on development matters.

She said the policies they were coming up with should complement Government’s 2030 vision of making Zimbabwe an upper middle income economy.

“We are looking at capacitating local authorities in terms local economic development and promoting rural investment. According to the Constitution, local authorities have a mandate to take care of the welfare of people under their jurisdiction,” she said.

Ms Makoni said councils should therefore augment Government efforts to attain an upper midddle income economy by 2030.

She said the association will be conducting research on how local authorities can benefit from resources in their respective areas as devolution is rolled out.

Ms Makoni said ARDCZ was in the process of finalising its five-year plan which runs from next year to 2023.

She said RDCs want to improve on issues such as revenue collection and would soon embark on awareness campaigns to educate the people under their jurisdiction on the importance of paying their bills.

Ms Makoni said it was important for councils to market themselves in order to attract investors to their areas and expand their revenue base.

— @nqotshili.