Browsing by Author "Zhou, Gideon"
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Item Legal and institutional framework: The “achilles heel” of local authorities and raison d'etre of ministerial intervention in Zimbabwe(2012) Madhekeni, Alois; Zhou, GideonCentre-local relations have been an area of controversy in Zimbabwean local governance both as a discipline and as a practice. Local authorities have traded blows with central government particularly accusing the responsible Ministry of reducing them to spectators in their own field through excessive ministerial intervention. Meanwhile the ministry of local government has cracked the whip on local authorities accusing them of mismanagement and compromised service delivery. The independent media has described the scenario as a “Bloodbath” in local authorities. The bone of contention has been largely on the devolution of local authority issues, expanding the autonomy of the periphery from the center and clipping the powers of the responsible Minister. What appears to be misconstrued by many however is the fact that the governing legal and institutional framework of local governance in Zimbabwe provides room for the responsible Minister to legally enable or disable local authority administration. This governing framework has been and is still the “Achilles heel” of local authorities and the raison d‟être of ministerial intervention in Zimbabwe.Item Sector wide approach in health policy response and framework in Zimbabwe(Journal of Public Administration and Governance, 2012) Madhekeni, Alois; Zhou, Gideon; Chevo, TafadzwaThe discourse is on the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) in health, a policy reform intervention by the World Health Organization, and focuses on Zimbabwe’s response, and the subsequent health policy framework. A SWAp is a government led partnership with donor agencies and the civil society, in the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the health policy. The rationale is to systematically build the capacity of health delivery systems and structures, for the realization health policy objectives through effective and efficient utilization of collaboratively mobilized resources for the realization of sustainable development in health. Zimbabwe has responded to SWAps by adopting the WHO Country Cooperation Strategy (2008-2013), being implemented through the National Health Strategy (2009-2013). A collaborative approach involving the state and civil society is being pursued. Within this arrangement, the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare is leading the strategic and operational function, at all levels of society, with the donor community, through the civil society playing a supportive role particularly in areas which include HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, water and sanitation, and maternal health. Coordination is done through the National Planning Forum, made up of the health ministry and the voluntary sector, and the Health Development Partners Coordination Group, made up of donor agencies in health, in line with the Zimbabwe United Nations Development Assistance Framework and the Interagency Humanitarian Coordination Mechanism. It was concluded that a framework has been put in place through which the SWAp is being pursued, towards systematic capacity building of Zimbabwe’s health sector.Item Systems, Processes and Challenges of Public Revenue Collection in Zimbabwe(American International Journal of Contemporary Research, 2013) Zhou, Gideon; Madhekeni, AloisAn efficient national revenue collection system is the hub of every public administration system and the cornerstone of sound fiscal management. It enables governments to finance budget deficits from domestic sources, thus dissuading recourse to off-shore sourcing. This article reviews national revenue collection in Zimbabwe, particularly interrogating major revenue sources, revenue collection strategies and soft spots for revenue leakage. Research findings indicate that the revenue collection sector has over the decades gone through milestone reforms, notable ones being the establishment of a sole national revenue authority in 2001, the shifting from cumbersome Income Tax Return Forms to Final Deduction Systems, the adoption of VAT in 2004 and Toll Gate systems in 2009. The discovery of diamonds in 2006 (with a potential to generate US$2billion dollars a year and even supply 25% of the world demand) was an added boost which is set to broaden national revenue generation and collection. Notwithstanding these developments, optimal revenue collection is still structurally and operationally compromised by loopholes in income tax frameworks, lack of transparency in revenue collection and remittance processes, and, corruption within institutions designated as Receivers of Revenue. There is need to review the structural and operational frameworks governing the national revenue authority, tighten treasury control over all national revenue sources, strengthen legislative oversight and the public audit functions, plug loose areas in income tax frameworks as well as instituting transparency in national revenue remittance processes.