de Visser, JaapChigwata, TinasheSchool of GovernmentFaculty of Arts2014-01-222024-05-282011/05/272011/05/272014-01-222024-05-282010https://hdl.handle.net/10566/15742Magister Philosophiae - MPhilProvincial governors constituted an important part of the decentralization package unveiled in Zimbabwe in 1984 and 1985. The President appoints provincial governors among other duties, to coordinate development planning and implementation at the provincial level. This paper seeks to examine the appointment and role of a provincial governor and in that way establish the extent to which such appointment and role hinder or enhance representative and participatory democracy, accountability, devolution and empowerment, as ideals of decentralization. This contribution examines provincial governance in Zimbabwe as part of the local government system.enZimbabwe local governmentProvincial governorDecentralizationDevolutionAutonomyLocal accountabilityRepresentative democracyLocal empowermentProvincesReformsThesisUniversity of the Western Cape