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By Elvis Dumba
Banket – Traditional leaders and councilors who often fight over resource and community control have been urged to work in harmony on community development issues.
Zvimba Rural District Council executives met traditional leaders and councillors during a governance seminar where their roles were set out.
Zvimba District Development Coordinator, Daniel Gumbotshuma said both traditional leaders and councillors are important stakeholders in implementing government programs in communities.
“Government relies on you as traditional leaders to ensure communities get development and this needs you to work in harmony with councilors as you are both parts of the lower government tier. You need to know each other’s roles so that you can effectively implement development programs through laid down roles of each one of you according to the country’s laws,” he said.
Zvimba Rural District Council representative, Piwayi Chipunza urged traditional leaders to tell their communities to play their obligations in paying levies and rates for the local authorities to effectively carry out service delivery in communities.
“We really appreciate the roles our traditional leaders carry in the communities. As our community custodians, I appeal to you to urge and encourage your subjects to contribute towards service delivery through paying council levies which in turn allows us to render to you developmental programs such as water provision, road maintenance, and others. We can only use the resources availed by communities. This calls that you work hand in hand with ward councillors as we aim to fulfill President Mnangagwa’s call that no one or place should be left behind” she said during her address to traditional leaders and councilors drawn from Zvimba North Constituency.
The Ministry of Local Government and National Housing Deputy Minister Marian Chombo said government relies on traditional leaders and councilors in ensuring that communities get the requisite infrastructure that allows community development that helps economic growth.
“You are a very important people who help us as the government to have things done on the ground as you are the ones who implement and oversee your communities. When disasters strike a community, it is the headman who notifies us and when development projects come it comes through the councillor and this calls for strengthened cooperation between councilors and traditional leaders,” she said.
Hon Chombo thanked Zvinba Rural District Council for organizing the seminar as it managed to set out the duties of councillors and traditional leaders.
“I am grateful for this seminar as we had heard about some conflicts between councilors and traditional leaders with each other claiming control of communities. The roles have been clearly set and I urge you to work in harmony. Don’t take responsibilities that are not your purview. Take issues in your communities to the responsible people,” she said.
Meanwhile, Hon Chombo revealed that the government is committed to improving the welfare of traditional leaders as the government through ZINWA will provide each traditional leader with a borehole.
She also said some traditional leaders who have not been receiving their allowances are set to be receiving them soon after the competition of the delimitation exercise.