Nine SADC countries in collaboration with the Commonwealth today launched a new local democracy enhancement programme aimed at promoting local democracy and good governance in the region.
The nine countries include Botswana, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia,
Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Commonwealth Secretary General Carl Wright disclosed this at the closure of a
two-day Commonwealth Local Governance Forum (CLGF) meeting held in Lusaka.
Mr. Wright pointed out that the core feature of the new programme is the development
and application of local indicators to measure good governance at the local level
including the accountability of local councils and the effectiveness of the of their
delivery to key services to the community.
Other central elements have been the use of the International Peer Review (IPR) to
assess local authority performance conducted by partner cities and extensive
consultation of the civil society and local stakeholders.
Mr. Wright said it was agreed during the meeting that the next new programme should
be undertaken in Zambia.
He said the Zambian cities chosen for the programme are Kitwe, Livingstone, Lusaka,
Mufulira and Ndola and that upon completion, the programme will be rolled out
through out the country.
And Local Government and Housing Minister Syvia Masebo said Zambia was committed to implementing the new programme as it provides the key to ensuring governance and
effective service delivery by local government.
Ms. Masebo said the International Peer Review also ensures an objective assessment
of performance to the existing African Peer Review Mechanism.
She hoped that the innovative methodology developed under the programme will see
widespread adoption throughout the SADC region, Africa and the Commonwealth.
In this regard, the minister stressed that she would firmely act on weakness that
will be identified in the local government system in the country.
And Dr. James David, the minister of Local Goverment in Mauritius, said the local
government enhancement process is ideally suited to Africa as governments have taken
the initiative to undertake the African Peer Review Mechanism.
He said the Peer Review will assist local authorities in walking the extra-mile and
enhance performance with a view to attaining total quality in the long-term.
Dr. David said that now is the time to move from rhetorics to facts, from statements
to concrete realisation if the programme is to be successful.
The Local Government Enhancement Programme builds on successful work undertaken by the workshop, organisers, the Commonwealth Local Government Forum, and the Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (UCAZ) since 2003 in five cities in Zimbabwe and their counterparts in other Commonwealth countries such as Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland.
Senior local government practitioners including ministers, mayors and officials from
the nine countries met in Lusaka from 18 to 20 June 2007 and agreed to move forward
an innovative programme to promote local democracy and good governance in the SADC
region.
