Council
standing committees are established in terms of Section 96 of the Urban
Councils Act (Chapter 29:15). Bulawayo at present, has six such committees —
Finance and Development; Health, Housing and Education; Environmental
Management and Engineering Services; Future Water Supplies and Water Action;
Town Lands and Planning; and the General Purposes Committee.
The General
Purposes Committee comprises the mayor, deputy mayor, and chairpersons of the
other five committees. The city also has two ad-hoc committees — Business and
Investment and Audit — along with a sub-committee on the allocation of stands.
Last year, councillors resolved that while standing committee membership would
remain fixed for five years, the performance of chairpersons would be reviewed
every two years. However, during a special council meeting held last Friday,
Ward Six Councillor Nkosinathi Hove Mpofu tabled a motion proposing the
systematic rotation of committee chairpersons to “broaden leadership
opportunities” and promote collective capacity building.
“It is within
the purview of deliberative assemblies such as our esteemed council that the
dialectical synergy of collaborative governance is most efficaciously
actualised, particularly in committees of strategic import like the General
Purposes Committee, where pivotal decisions regarding human capital acquisition
and the promotion of ongoing pedagogical refinement are deliberated and
enacted,” reads the motion. The rotation of leadership roles amongst
councillors serves as a salutary mechanism for fostering a cadre of versatile
and adept leaders, imbued with the acumen and experiential wisdom garnered
through active participation in committee work.”
Clr Hove Mpofu
went on to propose new chairpersons and deputy chairpersons for all standing
committees.
The motion,
signed by 16 of the 38 councillors, proposes new leadership for all committees
— except for the Business and Investment Committee and the Sub-committee on
Allocation of Stands and Premises, which would remain unchanged.
“In light of
these considerations, I am compelled to submit this motion, respectfully
proposing the replacement of the current incumbents of the General Purposes
Committee, thus furthering the noble objectives of institutional continuity,
leadership development, and the promotion of a dynamic and inclusive governance
paradigm,” reads the motion.
The five
committee chairpersons affected by the motion are Councillor Mpumelelo Moyo,
who chairs the Finance and Development Committee; Councillor Ntombizodwa
Khumalo, responsible for Health, Housing and Education; Councillor Dumisani
Netha, leading the Town Lands and Planning Committee; Councillor Roy Sekete,
heading Environmental Management and Engineering Services; and Councillor
Khalazani Ndlovu, chairing the Future Water Supplies and Water Action
Committee.
The two ad-hoc
committees are chaired by Cllr Mxolisi Mahlangu and Cllr Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu,
respectively, both deputised by Cllr Perseverance Nyathi — all three are among
the 16 councillors who endorsed the motion.
Councillor Hove
Mpofu proposed the following new chairpersons for the council’s standing
committees: Councillor Dumisani Nkomo for Finance and Development; Councillor
Sikhululekile Moyo for Health, Housing and Education; Councillor Ashton Mhlanga
for Town Lands and Planning; Councillor Donaldson Mabuto for Environmental
Management and Engineering Services; and Councillor Thandiwe Moyo for Future
Water Supplies and Water Action.
In reviewing
the motion, Chamber Secretary Mrs Sikhangele Zhou, under whose office the
city’s legal section falls, cited Section 96(6) and (7) of the Urban Councils
Act. She noted that while council may review committee work, the replacement of
chairpersons is only permissible under specific legal provisions.
“The motion
seeks to change chairpersons, but this can only be done in circumstances spelt
out in Section 96(7). Council can, however, review the work of the standing
committees, reappoint or appoint new committees. If the council has new
committees, then such committees can elect their chairpersons,” reads the
council report.
Mrs Zhou
further advised that to avoid future confusion, standing committees should be
dissolved and reconstituted annually, preferably in August, allowing for
performance review and reappointment.
She recommended
rescinding the 7 August 2024 resolution and replacing it with one stating that
the current committees be dissolved and reconstituted, with chairpersons
appointed in line with Section 96(6) and (7) of the Urban Councils Act.
Chronicle
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