Bulawayo City Council (BCC) and residents have called for stronger efforts to enhance transparency, civic education, and whistleblower protection as part of broader efforts to improve governance and service delivery in the city.
The proposals were made during a public dialogue on local governance and integrity held on Wednesday at the Bulawayo Club. The event was organised by the Centre for Innovation and Technology (CITE), the Public Policy Research Institute of Zimbabwe (PPRIZ), and the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA).
Nesisa Mpofu, Corporate Communications Manager for the BCC, said there was a need to intensify civic education to help residents better understand how the council operates.
“We need to look at how culture and dialogue around service delivery can be improved. There are other stakeholders who can support us in ensuring civic education reaches a wider audience. For instance, during the budget season, we could hold educational sessions to interrogate and explain the budget step by step. There are also associations that can partner with the city to monitor and question service delivery,” said Mpofu.
Nicholas Ngwenya, a member of BPRA, said there must be mechanisms to protect whistleblowers who expose corruption and misconduct within local authorities.
“Council must protect whistleblowers. In this economy, whistleblowers are often viewed as threats, especially by those in power. We are calling for a formal mechanism that ensures the safety of individuals who expose wrongdoing,” said Ngwenya.
Tinashe Nkomazana echoed similar sentiments, stressing the importance of demystifying the workings of local government.
“It is important to educate residents on how the city functions. People should understand how decisions are made during council and committee meetings, just like Parliament tries to explain its processes,” said Nkomazana.
Abigail Siziba from BPRA also called for greater access to council information and the accelerated rollout of digital governance tools.
“Council must increase transparency by improving access to information, especially budget-related documents. Budget proposals should be made available ahead of consultations and published on the city’s website and other platforms. Transparency can also be enhanced by speeding up the implementation of e-governance,” she said.
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Source: CITE
Source: CITE
