VICE-PRESIDENT George Kunda says Government will pass legislation during the next sitting of Parliament to create the Local Government Service Commission which will help to build capacity in councils and improve accountability and transparency.
Mr Kunda said Government is concerned with the inefficient operations of most local authorities in the country despite huge sums of money they get from annual budgetary allocations.
He said this in Lusaka yesterday during this week’s Ministry of Finance and National Planning recording of the culture remodelling programme on the theme “Strides in good governance”.
“There is poor performance, especially in rural areas where councils do not even have planners. In urban areas, there is a problem of over-politicisation. We need to review issues of accountability and transparency in local authorities,” the Vice-President said.
Mr Kunda said it is surprising that funds allocated at provincial level are put to good use but nothing tangible comes out of the money given to local authorities.
The Vice-President also said Government will soon enact a piece of legislation for establishing the National Prosecutors Authority which will help to strengthen the financial intelligence unit and prevent dirty money from finding its way into the country.
He said such an authority exists in South Africa, the United Kingdom and other countries because they contribute to strengthening of various institutions of governance.
On the Millennium Challenge Account to which Zambia has won eligibility, Mr Kunda said Government scored high marks but warned against laxity in the continued fight against corruption.
Mr Kunda said there should be respect for the rule of law as this is important for building investor confidence.
He said there is no need to slip up in reforming governance systems because the benefits, especially from co-operating partners, are immense.
Mr Kunda said Government has remained committed to fighting corruption, money laundering and other organised criminal offences.
“Zambia should not be a haven for dangerous crime. That is why we are domesticating the United Nations Convention on Corruption and this will pass in Parliament,” he said.
The Vice-President said Government wants to seal all loopholes for organised financial crime to create a conducive environment for investment and ensure resources are in the right sectors such as health and education.
Mr Kunda also said Government has been working well with co-operating partners, some of whom have continued funding the Governance Unit in the Ministry of Justice.
He said currently, the unit is conducting a survey from which empirical data will be collected regarding various governance issues and service delivery on the part of Government.
The Vice-President said the results of the survey will be availed to the public in due course.
Mr Kunda said most of the statements published in newspapers alleging high level corruption in Government are mere perceptions which co-operating partners do not take as evidence because they lack scientific statistical data.
The Vice-President said such misleading reports are baseless and that donors know what happens on the ground.
And Mr Kunda said Government will institutionalise consultations with various stakeholders through a legal framework which will be passed in Parliament so that the process of formulating the national budget can become all-inclusive.
He said Government has now shifted to engaging civil society in consultations on governance issues and other areas of national concern.
Mr Kunda said there is no need for some sections of society to continue attacking Government through the press when the door is open for dialogue.
He said civil society and the church have been good partners in providing checks and balances and that Government appreciates their role.
Mr Kunda said Government is ready to dialogue with civil society organisations and the church on any pertinent matters because this is what is required of an open society.
Meanwhile, Mr Kunda said Government does not interfere in the work of members of the National Governance Council of the African Peer Review Mechanism.
He said Government’s target is to be peer-reviewed by June this year so that a report can be ready in good time.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
An MMD councillor in Lufwanyama who defected to the Pact has been detained the immigration dept on instructions by Dr Puma on account that he is a foreigner. The man has been in the area, by St Joseph for years and one wonders why Dr. Puma has just woken up to day to know that this man is not Zambian when he had been neighbours with his father(Dr Puma’s)
To me it seems having councillors elected on party basis has not worked well in Zambia. Why don’t we try to de-politicize councils & get them to be run by professionals appointed on merit like any other professional job. Alternatively, let Mayors get elected at least by votes of the whole town not only by a handful of councillors voting on party lines.
#2 Chief BB. In fact in the olden days only people with property were allowed to become councillors. But to day some one can come from the bush and he will become mayor. If you are asking for a degree for one to become president why not make the foundation stronger by improving the qualifications to become a councillor. Just as in a company, the MD will always depend on a good workforce, so is Central government must depend on comptent councillors.
One of the major isues in the new act is the employment of staff at Councils. Currently, the responsibility of employing and dismissing staff is decentralised is versited in the pipo’s local representatives-the Councillors. As you may appreciate, in the last two elections, most of the Urban councils- which comprise all the 4 cities and 10 of the 13 Municipalities are controlled by the oposition. Masebo wanted influence in these Councils and to hit Sata, she contrived the ammendment of the local govt Act whereby they now will be centrally controlled. This is however contarlly to the much publicised decentralisation policy.
Unlike what Kunda is saying, the new act actually disempowers the councils as decistions will have to be made at cabinet office for them, and by ruling party cadres
How does this thing feel knowing that its boss is interviewing other candidates for his position? This thing should go underground. Otherwise it is just making a dolt of itself.