News of the South HARARE – The Citizens’ Manifesto yesterday launched a 16 portfolio “Citizens’ Cabinet” in Harare, in an attempt to deal with the prevailing socio-economic challenges in the country.
In a statement, the Citizens’ Manifesto said the cabinet is a platform to give unprecedented collective national citizens’ voice on important matters affecting their lives and priority concerns for national development with the goal to shape policy from the perspective of ordinary citizens and a clear people-centred stance.
“Such a collective voice is needed now, more than ever, given the accelerated pace of top-down policy prescriptions by the government that marginalizes citizens and result in pain and suffering for the majority.
“This is particularly so with regards to the painful economic reforms and austerity measures being championed by the current administration following an anti-poor economic model that relegates citizens to the periphery and typically results in devastating socio-economic consequences,” read the statement.
Citizens’ Manifesto Deputy Convener, Janet Zhou during the launch said the cabinet will be open for all Zimbabweans regardless of where they are coming from.
“This platform will allow everyone to participate with the license for membership and participation being a Zimbabwean citizen and also we will encourage a decentralised method of operation where it can either from down to top or vice versa.
“The main objective of this launch is to build a better Zimbabwe for all and make it a good destination for foreigners who might later spread the beauty part of Zimbabwe, thereby giving a better picture and understanding by the outsiders, Zimbabwe being conducive for every ,” Zhou said.
The organisation revealed that the Citizens’ Cabinet came about as after consultations among progressive civic formations and individual citizens under the banner of the Citizens’ Manifesto and similar platforms around which citizens have converged over the past two years to build consensus on the future they want grounded in day to day lived realities of ordinary Zimbabweans and united by a shared vision of a better Zimbabwe for all.
Citizens’ Manifesto Convener Briggs Bomba said devolution of power is a core-principle of the national Citizens’ Cabinet and accordingly, the Citizens’ Cabinet will actively promote the establishment of Provincial Citizens’ Councils that will discuss local issues and champion a local policy agenda and inform national discourse guided by the local reality and priorities.
“The Citizens’ Cabinet will reflect a diversity of voices and will pioneer radically democratic and innovative models of engaging citizens and building solutions from the bottom-up.
“The Citizens’ Cabinet will use technology to crowdsource citizens’ views nationally and will put forward concrete people-centered policy alternatives. The platform will also serve, in close coordination with other citizens’ movements, as a vehicle for concerted campaigns to ensure that citizens’ demands find expression in progressive new policy formulation that benefits the people,” Bomba said.
Names of the portfolio holders were not given as the organisation said consultations are still going on.
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