Minister of Local Government, Public Works and Social Development, Hon July Moyo says local authorities must include every citizen in their service delivery initiative.
Hon Moyo said this today in Harare during a handover and launch ceremony of LADS Africa which is a Harare Institute Of Technology (HIT) project meant to provide all the Information and Communication Technology services required by local authorities.
The Minister said the local authorities have to embrace a policy where every Zimbabwean is included in all sectors of service delivery.
“The six things that we need to work with as local authorities in order not to leave anybody behind includes education facilities, health facilities, roads, water, electricity and social amenities. Those six is what we believe are the basic things that you as local authorities must look at and say have we left people behind, of cause the life of people can not be measured by those but they are basic in terms of us wanting to lift everybody.
He also welcomed Harare Institute of Technology, Vice Chancellor for the contribution of introducing the ICT service and urged him to remain working with local authorities in the future.
“I want to launch this by saying HIT chancellor remain with us, there will be many challenges. You have walked with us when we had been doing ICT for our buses, the ZUPCO buses and you are still with us two years after and this journey we are starting is going to take even much longer but we know the results will be very good,” he added.
Honourable July Moyo also thanked the Commonwealth Local Government Forum and encouraged them to continue assisting local authorities as a way to ensure that every Zimbabwean benefits from the local authorities upgrading programmes.
“For the Common Wealth Local Government Forum please continue the good work so that those who give us money, the European Union can Indeed can see that what we are doing is benefitting the people of Zimbabwe,” said Hon Moyo.
Honourable July Moyo was accompanied by European Union Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Timo Alkkonen, Provincial Development Coordinator (PDC) of Harare Metropolitan Province Mr Tafadzwa E Muguti who was representing Provincial Affairs and Devolution Hon Oliver Chidawu and other delegates from different local authorities and institutions.
Meanwhile, LADS started as a pilot project funded by the Commonwealth Local Government Forum [CLGF]. CLGF Zimbabwe is an European Union Funded Non Governmental Organization whose mandate is to support the development of local authorities.
More so, because of the growing demand from local authorities, Harare Institute of Technology decided to register a company which fully focus on the Project and provide all the ICT services required by local authorities, hence the birth of LADS Africa Private Limited.