State Media

OFFICIALS from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works will with immediate effect attend council meetings countrywide to help curb rampant disregard of regulations by local authorities.

All full council and committee meetings will be held in the presence of the Provincial Development Coordinator (PDC) or District Development Coordinator (DDC) or their designated officials.

Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo announced the new development through a circular addressed to mayors and council chairpersons.

The mayors and councillors have been ordered to invite PDC and DDC to all their meetings.

The measures come following a series of corruption cases in local authorities that has seen the arrest of councillors and council technocrats.

Minister Moyo said his decision is meant to safeguard national interests as technocrats in local authorities were deliberately starving councillors of adequate information leading to them making ill-informed decisions on national matters.

“It has come to my attention that there is growing non compliance to the Constitution, the Statute Law and Government policy and circulars by councils and that councillors are not always given all the options available to enable them to make proper decisions.

“In view of this scenario, it has become necessary to monitor meetings of councils more effectively in the interest of transparency, accountability and good governance,” said Min Moyo.

“In view of Section 96 (10) of the Urban Councils Act, I hereby direct, in terms of Section 313 of the same Act that mayors or chairpersons issue a standing invitation to the relevant Provincial Development Coordinator, District Development Coordinator or their designated officer to attend all committees and full council meetings with immediate effect.”

He said Town Clerks and council secretaries must ensure that the agenda for all the meetings is dispatched to the PDC and DDC to enable them to attend.

“This directive is given in the national interest in ensuring that all tiers of Government operate legally and in harmony with each other,” he said.

This comes as Government is implementing devolution of power which would result in local authorities being in charge of resource utilisation within their localities.