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Ministerial Directives to Local Government in Zimbabwe: Top-Down Governance in a Decentralized Constitution

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2017

Tinashe Carlton Chigwata ,
Varaidzo Violet Muchapondwa  and
Jaap de Visser
Tinashe Carlton Chigwata*
Affiliation:
University of the Western Cape
Varaidzo Violet Muchapondwa*
Affiliation:
University of the Western Cape
Jaap de Visser*
Affiliation:
University of the Western Cape
*
tchigwata@gmail.com
varaidzomuchapondwa@gmail.com
jdevisser@uwc.ac.za
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Abstract

Urban and rural local authorities constitute the lowest tier of Zimbabwe's multilevel system of government. These local governments have a constitutional “right to govern” that must be exercised within the constitutional, legislative and policy framework. Under the old constitutional order, the national government could supervise urban local authorities, for example by issuing policy directives to ensure that these authorities governed in a manner that enabled them to deliver on national and local goals. This article examines this supervisory instrument, the powers it gives the national government, its use in practice and its relevance under the new constitutional order. The main argument is that supervisory instruments, such as the power to issue policy directives to local governments, are necessary in any multilevel system of government. However, such supervisory powers must be balanced with the need for local autonomy, to allow local governments to deliver on their service delivery obligations and development mandate.

Keywords

Zimbabwelocal governmentdecentralisationsupervisiondirective
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of African Law , Volume 61 , Issue 1 , February 2017 , pp. 41 - 56
Copyright
Copyright © SOAS, University of London 2017 

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Footnotes

* Post-doctoral fellow, Dullah Omar Institute (formerly, Community Law Centre), University of the Western Cape, South Africa.
** Former LLM student of the South African research chair in multilevel government, law and policy at the Dullah Omar Institute, University of the Western Cape, South Africa.
*** Professor and director, Dullah Omar Institute, University of the Western Cape, South Africa.

References

1 See Zembe, W and Masunda, CO “The global political agreement (GPA) constitution in Zimbabwe: A new people-driven constitution or a misnomer?” in de Visser, J, Steytler, N, Powell, D and Durojaye, E (eds) Constitution-Building in Africa (2015, Nomos and Community Law Centre, University of Western Cape) 19 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed.

2 Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No 20 of 2013.

3 Constitution of South Africa Act No 108 of 1996, sec 151(3).

4 Constitution, sec 276.

5 Ibid.

6 Smoke, P Fiscal Decentralisation in Developing Countries: A Review of Current Concepts and Practice (2001, UN Research Institute for Social Development) 6 Google Scholar at 8.

7 See Sisk, DT Democracy at the Local Level: The International Idea Handbook on Participation, Representation, Conflict Management, and Governance (2001, The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance)Google Scholar at 74; Siegle, J and O'Mahony, “Decentralisation and internal conflict” in Connerley, E, Eaton, K and Smoke, P (eds) Making Decentralisation Work (2010, Lynne Rienner) 135 Google Scholar at 141.

8 Prud'Homme, R “The dangers of decentralisation” (1995) 10/2 The World Bank Observer 201 CrossRefGoogle Scholar at 203; de Visser, J Developmental Local Government: A Case Study of South Africa (2005, Intersentia)Google Scholar at 27.

9 Prud'Homme, id at 211.

10 See Steytler, N and de Visser, J Local Government Law of South Africa (2007, Lexis Nexis / Butterworths)Google Scholar at 5–15; de Visser Developmental Local Government, above at note 8 at 169–70; R Bahl “Implementation rules for fiscal decentralisation” (paper presented at the International Seminar on Land Policy and Economic Development, Land Reform Training Institute, Taiwan, 17 November 1998) at 8–9.

11 Waite, M and Hawker, S (eds) Oxford Paperback Dictionary and Thesaurus (2nd ed, 2007, Oxford University Press)Google Scholar at 934.

12 See UN Habitat International Guidelines on Decentralisation and the Strengthening of Local Authorities (2007) at 7; European Charter of Local Self-Government, Strasbourg, 15.X.1985.

13 Machingauta, N “Supervision of local government” in de Visser, J, Steytler, N and Machingauta, N (eds) Local Government Reform in Zimbabwe: A Policy Dialogue (2010, Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape) 139 Google Scholar at 140.

14 Steytler and de Visser Local Government Law, above at note 10, chap 15 at 5; Steytler, N “Introduction” in Steytler, N (ed) The Place and Role of Local Government in Federal Systems (2005, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung) 1 Google Scholar at 7. See Machingauta “Supervision of local government”, above at note 13 at 143.

15 Baldwin, R, Scott, C and Hood, C “Introduction” in Baldwin, R, Scott, C and Hood, C (eds) A Reader on Regulation (1998, Oxford University Press) 1 CrossRefGoogle Scholar at 3.

16 See de Visser Developmental Local Government, above at note 8 at 170.

17 Litvack, J and Seddon, J (eds) Decentralisation Briefing Notes (1999, The World Bank)Google Scholar at 75.

18 Ibid.

19 See de Visser Developmental Local Government, above at note 8 at 44.

20 Smith, BC Good Governance and Development (2007, Palgrave MacMillan)CrossRefGoogle Scholar at 156.

21 Ibid.

22 Steytler and de Visser Local Government Law, above at note 10 at 22–134.

23 See Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development “Reference checklist for regulatory decision-making”, available at: <http://acts.oecd.org/Instruments/ShowInstrumentView.aspx?InstrumentID=128> (last accessed 3 February 2017).

24 See Steytler and de Visser Local Government Law, above at note 10 at 260; Machingauta “Supervision of local government”, above at note 13 at 142.

25 Y Hoffman-Wanderer and C Murray “Suspension and dissolution of municipal councils under section 139 of the Constitution” (2007) TSAR 141 at 141.

26 de Visser Developmental Local Government, above at note 8 at 43–45.

27 Constitution of South Africa, sec 139(1).

28 Azfar, O, Livingston, J and Meagher, P “Decentralisation in Uganda” in Bardhan, P and Mookherjee, D Decentralization and Local Governance in Developing Countries: A Comparative Perspective (2006, MIT Press) 231 Google Scholar.

29 Ibid.

30 Ibid.

31 See Hoffman-Wanderer and Murray “Suspension and dissolution”, above at note 25 at 141.

32 Steytler and de Visser Local Government Law, above at note 10 at 38. See also N Machingauta “A legal analysis of the appointment of caretakers to act as council in terms of Zimbabwe's section 80 of the Urban Councils Act” (2009, unpublished LLM thesis submitted at the University of the Western Cape) at 29–34.

33 Chap 29:15.

34 A Madhekeni and G Zhou “Legal and institutional framework: The ‘Achilles Heel’ of local authorities and raison d’être of ministerial intervention in Zimbabwe” (2012) 2/3 Journal of Public Administration and Governance 19 at 23.

35 UCA, sec 314.

36 Id, sec 311.

37 Ibid.

38 Chap 29:30.

39 See Dewa, D, Dziva, C and Mukwashi, K “Exploring local governance challenges in Zimbabwe under the Government of National Unity era and beyond” (2014) 2/8 International Journal of Political Science and Development 188 Google Scholar at 189.

40 Ibid.

41 Madhekeni and Zhou “Legal and institutional framework”, above at note 34 at 20; S Chakaipa “Local government institutions and elections” in de Visser, Steytler and Machingauta (eds) Local Government Reform, above at note 13, 31 at 32.

42 UCA, sec 313(2).

43 Ibid.

44 Id, sec 313(3).

45 Id, sec 2.

46 See de Visser Developmental Local Government, above at note 8 at 44.

47 Machingauta “Supervision of local government”, above at note 13 at 150.

48 See id at 141.

49 UCA, sec 313(1).

50 Smith Good Governance and Development, above at note 20 at 156.

51 UCA, sec 313(2).

52 See Steytler, N and de Visser, J Constitutional Law of South Africa (2nd ed, 2011, Juta)Google Scholar at 22–134.

53 Constitution, sec 265(1)(d).

54 Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development “Ministerial directive on employment” (29 September 2010).

55 Constitution, secs 194(1)(g) and 265.

56 Id, sec 276(1).

57 J Mapuva and L Muyengwa-Mapuva “Devolution and the new constitutional dispensation in Zimbabwe” (5 March 2014), available at: <http://www.monitor.upeace.org/innerpg.cfm?id_article=1035 > (last accessed 3 February 2017).

58 Steytler and de Visser Local Government Law, above at note 10 at 1–15.

59 Id at 1–5.

60 See, for example, Constitution, preamble to chap 14, secs 264 and 265.

61 UCA, sec 313.

62 Constitution, sec 264.

63 Id, secs 194, 264 and 276 respectively.