Should We Be Worried?

Regardless of where we reside, we have a government that superintends over us. At a more local and personal level, the government structure provides for a local government that oversees our daily welfare on a non exchange basis. In non exchange transactions, communities receive value from a local authority without directly giving approximately equal value in exchange. Residents in local communities benefit from roads, social services and libraries. In exchange, these residents pay fixed rates periodically. These rates have no bearing on the frequency or magnitude of use of the pubic services availed. The city councils, municipalities and rural district councils therefore ensure that we have roads, lighting, water and that refuse is collected. These services are necessities for the functioning and health of our communities.  It is the government’s role to ensure that the country’s resources are distributed equitably within a community and that everyone has equal access to basic services. The less privileged in a society should still able to enjoy public services. This is a practical measure of a sound people centred governance by any government, central or local.

According to the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013), provincial and local authorities should be allocated not less than 5% of the country’s total revenue. This helps lower levels of government fund operations and the provision of services. However, allocations in the past have been lower than expected, thereby compromising operations and service delivery. For 2019, government has provided $310 million for provincial councils whilst local councils have received $45 million. Harare and Bulawayo, being the largest Municipalities, were allocated $4 million each with the rest of the councils receiving way less.  Other sources of funding for local councils are local collections such as rates, levies and taxes. Harare City Council, in their 2019 budget, allocated 72% of total revenue to service delivery. Whilst this is ideal, actual collections may prove to be a stumbling block. The local authority should therefore be able to source adequate funding through central government appropriations as well as through ensuring that all local residents pay up their dues.

As a rate payer, you should be aware of the services that you are inherently entitled to as enshrined in our constitution. In particular, sections 27 to 32 require the state to provide education, shelter, health services, social welfare as well as recreational and sporting facilities. This mandates local authorities to do this on behalf of the state. The construction, operation and maintenance of such facilities should be met from a local authority’s budget. When these public services are provided, communities will be happy with the state of their roads and the adequate lighting at night. There will be a consistent and healthy supply of portable water and public spaces will be used optimally.

Our local communities should be safe, resilient, sustainable and progressive places to live, work and have recreation. Local authorities all over the country  are mandated to provide these and many other services to you. Is that what is happening? Do we not find ourselves complaining regularly of unclean water? Dark areas? Potholes in our roads? Broken down infrastructure in our parks? Clearly, the concept of non exchange provision is being abused by our municipalities as they continue to fail to provide communities with the social amenities required. A stroll through our urban parks and a drive on the pothole littered roads in our high density suburbs easily paints a picture of neglect. The question is: What are you doing about it?  Large municipalities such as Harare and Bulawayo have Public Relations Departments and these are open to you to express your satisfaction or otherwise with the level of service delivery in your area.  This provision should be exploited by you the resident. Make use of the regular ward meetings. Know the call centre numbers. Take part in lobbying activities in any legal form. Engage your councillor. Do whatever you have to do to bring the local authority to act in line with the constitution, and of course, do your part by paying your rates timely. Many times their argument is that rate payers are defaulting in their payments but is this always the case?

Financial management of your funds is another point to ponder. There has to be a degree of transparency and accountability when it comes to the handling of public funds. There is no secret when it comes to the financials of public funds. Have you bothered yourself to find out how much your local authority has collected in rates? How about how much of this has actually gone towards giving you a better community? How much has gone to executives’ perks? Have you bothered to study the freely available audit reports of your local authority to satisfy yourself that the local authority has acted within regulation regarding funds collected and their usage? Rural district councils avail their financial statements for a nominal fee to cover printing costs. Budgets are readily available for urban councils.

The consultative budgeting approach adopted by councils provides an opportunity to share prior year financial performance. There may be need to make it mandatory for councillors to share financial performance with residents in their ward meetings, although these may have to be abridged to make them understandable to the laity and also to take care of confidentiality concerns.  Having taken part in budget consultations, have you gone further to establish if your individual or corporate concerns have been taken into account?  As residents, we need to bring our local authorities to account and demand transparency. As citizens, the local authority is accountable to us as the major stakeholder. Gone are the days when council views citizens as a disadvantaged lot seeking mercy. There is an urgent need for communities and independent organisations to carry out social audits systematically. Results of these audits should be shared with both communities as well as local authorities themselves. Local authorities have to buy in and cooperate in these social audits so that the results obtained are meaningful. It goes without saying that service delivery must be monitored, measured and evaluated by an entity other than the local authority itself. Such exercises, therefore, will provide the local council with a reliable barometer for introspection.