Goromonzi South Member of Parliament, Hon. Washington Zhanda
By Dickson Bandera
Goromonzi South Member of Parliament, Hon. Washington Zhanda believes that the presidential call to action directing local authorities to create masterplans will bring order and improve service delivery in settlements nationwide if properly implemented.
Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of a consultative meeting on the progress of the Rural and Urban National Master Plan at the Goromonzi District Office with village heads, Cde Zhanda strongly condemned corruption and vowed to take decisive action against corrupt officials in his jurisdiction.
He emphasized that a corrupt-free approach is crucial, hence for communities to enjoy seamless service delivery and orderly settlements, corruption must be eradicated without fear or favor, in line with President Mnangagwa’s Zero Tolerance to Corruption principle.
“As an MP, I am fully in support of Vision 2030 and guided by our presidential stance, which opposes corruption. President Mnangagwa has repeatedly condemned corruption day and night, and we are enforcing that stance.
“If anyone in our constituency engages in corruption or illegal land sales, we will facilitate their arrest,” asserted the legislator.
The consultative meeting, attended by Chiefs Rusike and Chikwaka, village heads, and Rural District Council members among others, is part of the strategic efforts to craft future strategies and address ongoing challenges in the constituency.
Gorominzi RDC managed to submit their masterplan by the June 30 deadline and according to Local Government and Public Works Minister Cde Daniel Garwe, 86 out of 92 local authorities submitted their masterplans in time, with the remaining requesting extra time to finalize.
Key discussions on the consultative meeting focused on efficient service delivery, the illegal distribution of land, settlements and developments which have caused chaos in various communities.
These illegal activities are characterized by corruption, unauthorized land occupation, and illegal sales and developments by barons and authorities.
Last year, the president launched “The Call to Action: No Compromise on Service Delivery” blueprint, which mandates local authorities to ensure efficient services aligned with the goal of achieving a Middle Income Economy by 2030. He made it clear that a lethargic approach to work will not be tolerated, hence has set targets to make it easy to monitor and evaluate performance.
Goromonzi RDC was last year listed in a ZANU PF communique among the areas with prevalent illegal land settlements, and Cde Zhanda is committed to halting this. He warned those engaging in graft saying noone should sell state land or engage in illegal activities.
“There is no one with the right to sell state land; it is a crime. This must stop. Those who have done this committed a crime. In Caledonia, some people have settled in areas designated for schools and clinics,” he charged.
Responding to questions about the fate of those who have already sold state land, Cde Zhanda said criminals would be arrested as directed by President Mnangagwa.
“I told those present that our leader has spoken; therefore, criminals will be arrested. We are advocating for adherence to the law and non-corrupt practices in all our activities.
“The reform exercise is already in motion. President Mnangagwa is a man of action, and we are now implementing his directives,” he added.
Cde Zhanda also underscored the importance of collaboration in tackling this challenge saying, “As MPs, we collaborate with other departments and leverage our knowledge to develop effective programs for our socio-economic development.”
Sabhuku Biggie Maworera commended the program, saying it will bring order and organized settlement to the area.
According to the law, communal land is administered under the Communal Land Act and is vested in the president of Zimbabwe. State land is also vested in the president and administered by various ministries. Other land falls under the jurisdiction of local authorities or is privately owned, with all categories governed by specific regulations.
Out of the 92 local authorities, Mutare and Bulawayo had already prepared their master plans before the presidential directive, and these plans were gazetted in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Of the remaining 90 authorities, 84 submitted their draft master plans by the June 30 deadline for review by the minister and have requested to place them on public exhibit for 60 days, allowing stakeholders to provide input, comments, or objections.
The six authorities that have not yet submitted are Beitbridge Municipality (requested submission by July 8, 2024), Epworth LB, Ruwa LB, and Mutare RDC (requested submission by July 15, 2024), and Chitungwiza Municipality and Hwange LB (requested submission by July 30, 2024).
