Anthony Muzondo
GWERU Residence and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) in collaboration with Midlands State University’s (MSU) Centre for Public Policy and Devolution (CCPD) department conducted a 6-week capacity building training programme to enhance and strengthen City of Gweru’s councillors’ skills to do with leadership, governance and local authority services.
The course being funded by Frederick Ebert Stiftung Zimbabwe Country Office equipped councillors with local authority vast knowledge, with core modules such as Local government systems & administration, Legislative frameworks, Leadership and ethics, Policy formulation and budgeting, Community engagement and gender mainstreaming.
GRRA hopes the course will enhance decision making towards service delivery.
“These certificates have added your academic value, as this programme was meant to improve your knowledge as well as expertise on your mandates as duty bearers on how to execute local services to the people,” said GRRA Board Chairperson Luckson Mugara.
“The course was an initiative to enhance leadership skills of our duty bearers on the issues to do with local governance processes, so that there will be able to deliver and engage with residence with much expertise,” added GRRA Programmer and Gender Focal officer, Fadzayi Kanyai.
City of Gweru Deputy Mayor, Nyaradzo Madzimura hailed the program saying it assisted towards eradicating gender stereotypes.
“Recently before this programme we faced gender stereotypes scenarios within some of our colleagues and during work coordination, however with the academic lectures we were given this issue was dealt with to everyone’s advantage,” she said.
MSU’s Dr Virginia Makanza highlighted that the initiative done by the University of teaching and edifying local authority knowledge and governance issues to councillors is in line with Education 5.O, which values research and innovation at community based-level hence this programme is key to the development of the city.
“This programme in lines with education 5.O, which goes beyond just teaching, as it requires research and innovation at community level hence this training showcased how universities are keen to improve livelihoods within the community, and assist in development plans within the city ,” said Dr Makanza.
