Devolution of power and effective governance : the Zimbabwean constitutional debate

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.