Thread by @shingaiRndoro

#RoadsCondition 🔥 🔥 🔥

1/ The central Gvt took away the responsibility to collect motor vehicle licenses. It goes to @zinaraZW which then centrally allocates to local authorities to construct, rehabilite & repair roads using an unknown formula.

2/ In terms of the Roads Act of 2001, ZINARA disburses funds to the Road Authorities based on four types of disbursements:
1. routine maintenance,
2. periodic maintenance,
3. emergency, and
4. special project fund.

3/ Road Authorities are categorised into:
1. Department of Roads (DoR) in the @MinistryofTID, responsible for trunk roads,
2. Urban Councils, for urban roads,
3. Rural District Councils, for rural roads, &
4. District Development Fund (DDF), responsible for rural roads.

4/ When the local authorities were still collecting the motor vehicle licenses, the money wasn’t a separate fund. It was put into the revenue pool where it was used for administrative, operational & service delivery costs.

5/ The reasoning of the Gvt to change the policy was that there will be other local authorities without enough motor vehicle population to sustain the road construction, rehabilitate & repair budget.

6/ This policy was meant to equalise all local authorities by centralising collection & allocation.

7/ It was also the reasoning that local authorities are diverting the money collected for motor vehicle licenses to costs unrelated to road construction, rehabilitation & repair.

8/ There has been corruption, inefficiency & opaqueness at ZINARA to the anger of local authorities. It also owes local authorities in the retention amount where each local authority is allowed to retain a % from the motor vehicle licenses amount collected in its jurisdiction.

9/ What needs to be done? Is the improvement of centralisation required to make ZINARA work more&better?

Is it better to go back to a decentralised system? Will local authorities be allowed to use the money for other purposes not related to roads?

10/ The central Gvt has responded to the incapacity of local authorities by centralising the construction, rehabilitation & repair of all roads, SI 47/2021.

The existence of ZINARA was already a centralised funding of such roads.

What will the central Gvt do differently?

11/ Before making accusations, blaming&complaining (ABC) about ZINARA or local authorities, the public policy is needs a serious relook.

BIG Qstn: Improve current centralisation or decentralise by making local authorities run road funds to avoid diversion?

12/ Local authorities are quick to accuse ZINARA of corruption, inefficiency&opaqueness as if they are better at all with ratepayers’ money they are collecting.

When did you last see ZINARA, local authorities & DDF audited financial statements?

Ever heard any MP questioning?

13/ The accountability system here is narrow & shallow if not non-existent & yet the constitution obliges that.

Public bodies do what they want with public funds without questions nor consequences.