Fortune Nkosi
Bulawayo—The government allocated only two percent of the expected devolution funds to local authorities last year, a figure far below the constitutionally mandated five percent, as treasury diverted resources to address the El Niño-induced drought, according to Local Government, Public Works and National Housing minister, Daniel Garwe.
Speaking during a training session for councillors and local authority staff from Matabeleland North under the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology programme in Bulawayo on Friday, Garwe acknowledged the concerns raised by local authorities over the failure to meet the constitutional devolution threshold.
“I know all local authorities are crying about the disbursement of devolution funds. I know that, last year, two percent only was disbursed to local authorities,” Garwe said, adding his ministry also received a two percent allocation from treasury.
“Let me also advise you that two percent was disbursed to the ministry of Local Government for all our disbursements to local authorities.”
Section 301(3) of the constitution stipulates that no less than five percent of national revenue raised in any given financial year must be allocated to provinces and local authorities.
However, since the introduction of the Inter-Governmental Funds Transfer in 2019, the government has consistently fallen short of this requirement.
In a post-budget analysis report by the portfolio committee on Local Government, Public Works and National Housing last year, the committee noted that between 2019 and 2023, allocations ranged from as little as 0.5 percent to a high of 2.9 percent.
This sparked criticism over the government’s commitment to devolving power and resources to local authorities.
However, Garwe defended the government’s decision to divert funds, attributing it to the need to address food insecurity caused by last year’s severe drought.
“The reason is very simple and clear. 2024 was a catastrophic year for us in terms of the El Niño-induced drought. And obviously, as the president has said, no place and no one must die of hunger,” he said.
“So part of the money that should have come for the projects under devolution had to be re-routed to ensure that the government buys food to feed its nation, to feed its citizens. And this is what happened in Zimbabwe.”
Despite concerns over devolution funding, Garwe claimed the government’s actions prevented a food crisis.
“We never had catastrophic cases in all the areas we come from where there were fundamental flaws in the distribution of food. If there were areas where food could have been delayed or was not adequate, efforts were being made and continue to be made to ensure that every Zimbabwean in every corner of this country receives food. We are all happy,” he said.
The Local Government minister then shifted focus to the recent rains, which he described as a blessing for Zimbabwe, particularly Matabeleland North.
“Thank you to our prayers as a nation. The heavens opened the rains for all of us. And for a change in more than 200 years of this country, the southern regions or the southern provinces received more rains than the northern provinces,” Garwe said
The minister also took the opportunity to call on Zimbabweans in the diaspora to support their country, rather than criticise it.
“Please, as I conclude, let’s encourage our brothers and sisters in the diaspora to love themselves by loving their country. You will not be blessed if you become a champion of posting on social media platforms things that denigrate your country,” Garwe said.