by Staff Reporter
The Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Senator Monica Mutsvangwa yesterday said Cabinet has considered and approved principles for the amendment of the country’s constitution on Proportional representation in Local Authorities to ensure that the women’s quota system will be extended to local authorities.
Briefing the media after the 45th Cabinet meeting, Minister Mutsvangwa said the proposed amendments are in line with the request of women councillors to President Emmerson Mnangagwa that the quota system be extended to the local authorities.
“Cabinet considered and approved Principles for the Amendment of the Constitution on Proportional Representation in Local Authorities, which was presented by the Minister of Local Government and Public Works. The proposal is in response to submissions by Women Councilors at Victoria Falls, which His Excellency, the President undertook to bring to Cabinet.
“The Principles seek to extend the progressive Constitutional provisions on gender equality to local Government structures. In particular, the systems of proportional representation for the election of candidates to Parliamentary seats will be extended to local authorities,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
Minister Mutsvangwa further said there will be a 30 percent quota for women in all local authorities to increase women representation in lower tiers of governance,
“The principles will facilitate increased women and minority parties representation in lower tiers of governance, thereby bringing stability and balance in decision-making as power-sharing becomes more visible at the grassroots level. Another key highlight is that Cabinet approved the principle to provide for a 30% quota for women in all local authorities,” added Minister Mutsvangwa.
Last week in Victoria Falls during the inaugural Zimbabwe Local Government Association of Zimbabwe (Zilga) women councillors’ indaba, which was held under the banner of “Women in Local Government Forum” (WILGF), women councillors proposed that a quota be reserved for them in all local authorities to ensure that they play a part in local governance.
During that interactive meeting, President Mnangagwa said Local Government is the bedrock of national governance and said it was necessary to consider extending the women’s quota to councils, urging women councillors to equally develop and implement concrete strategies to realise their objectives.
