HARARE – The government has introduced a new heritage-based training course for mayors, chairpersons, and councillors in local authorities, which will include modules and manuals from the Zanu PF’s ‘Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology.’
Speaking on Wednesday, Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe emphasized the importance of this training in enhancing the understanding of local government officials regarding their critical roles in national affairs and development. The initiative, supported by the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology, aims to align local authorities more closely with central government policies.
“Local authorities are semi-autonomous entities responsible for creating their policies, leveraging local resources, and fostering economic growth,” Garwe said. “For these reasons, and many more, it is essential that local authorities are in sync with central government in terms of policy, procedure, and action.”
Garwe also pointed out the challenges posed by the diverse political landscape within local government, noting that a limited understanding of the nation’s history, identity, and political landscape often hampers meaningful dialogue and initiatives.
To address these issues, the ministry will implement a three-phase induction program designed to equip mayors, chairpersons, and councillors with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively lead their respective councils. Garwe emphasized that this training is crucial for achieving the government’s goal of creating an upper-middle-income society by 2030.
Highlighting the inclusion of the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology in the training materials, Garwe noted that the ministry draws inspiration from countries like China, the United States, Russia, Singapore, and Japan, where patriotic education campaigns have been used to foster national pride and uphold moral values.
Despite initial plans to boycott the ideology training, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has confirmed that its councillors and mayors will attend the program, given that it is being run under the Ministry of Local Government and not directly by Zanu PF.
“If it is a ministerial program, CCC has no authority to stop its members from attending such training. However, if it were a Zanu PF political party program, we would prevent them from attending, as it would represent the imposition of another political party’s ideology on us as an opposition movement,” said CCC spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi in an interview.