Brightface Mutema
Advisory Councils are not a new phenomenon that is peculiar to Zimbabwe alone. Such councils existed in the medieval period. Kings from the pre-colonial states worked with the help of advisory councils who had wisdom and a wealth of maturity and experience. The kings only had to rubber stamp what they got from mainly the individuals constituting the councils.
This brings me to the issue being raised of late, the lack of gender parity in the advisory council. Without sounding discriminating against women during the period we are celebrating their relentless contribution to every facet of life, I want to defend the composition of the council. Reason why there are very few women chosen, considering that gender mainstreaming is yet to fully take effect in the country, most influential positions are held by men. The President having considered the role that each individual of the council holds, was left with no choice but to fish more males than females.
This therefore, warrants me now to turn to the core of the council. So many theories and myths are being said by a cross section of the society against the council. I am convinced that others are just tearing the idea apart without being objective about it. Some have gone to the extent of mocking it as another useless form of pseudo cabinet. That is way off the mark.
If properly composed and structured, which the President did, an advisory council can be a tremendous complement to the effectiveness of the government’s programs as it works to carry out a specific initiative. Advisory committees need sufficient range of expertise to accomplish the government’s mission. And indeed the President casted his net wide enough and roped in the technocrats from various sectors and no doubt these best brains are going to deliver.
Central to the concept of an advisory council is its impartiality and honesty when it comes to informing the Premier. These ladies and gentlemen are experts in their areas, hence all their advice to the President will be well informed without any fallacies.
The President has always said he is open to contribution from anyone with constructive advice to move the country forward. There is no doubt that him being a listening someone will take on board all the advice that will be proffered which is in line with achieving vision 2030 of making Zimbabwe a middle class economy.
