Abstract:
During the constitutional outreach programme conducted by the Government of
Zimbabwe to determine people’s views on what should be included in the new
Constitution of Zimbabwe, the issue of the devolution of power came out very
strongly, prompting a heated debate on the subject. This article discusses the
prospects of the devolution of power in Zimbabwe. The merits and demerits of
devolution have been scrutinised while views from both proponents and antiproponents
of devolution have been analysed and contextualised. While proponents
of devolution view it as a panacea for inefficiency and poor public service delivery,
its critics believe that devolution is a threat to unity and it is not ideal for Zimbabwe.
Relevant literature, views from political parties, civil society and ordinary citizens
on devolution were also considered. A brief comparison with the Kenyan case was
made to draw lessons from the Kenyan experience. The findings of the research
reflect that most provinces were in favour of devolution. With public participation
being one of the pillars of democracy and good governance, the people’s views and
contributions must be considered in order to promote democracy.
