By Flata Kavinga
Kwekwe mayor Cllr Albert Zinhanga says the city could benefit from new partnerships discussed on the sidelines of the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13), including capacity-building programmes and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems aimed at improving billing and debt recovery.
Speaking to journalists in Kwekwe following his return from World Urban Forum 13, Zinhanga said he was part of Zimbabwe’s delegation led by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
The forum, hosted in Azerbaijan, brought together governments, local authorities and development partners to discuss urban development, housing and sustainable cities.
Zinhanga said Zimbabwe’s delegation included officials from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities, deputy ministers and mayors from several cities.
“It is a forum where they are talking about houses and how do we implement the challenges and new resolutions being channelled in the world in order to give people better housing and quality housing for all,” he said.
He said the Zimbabwean delegation attended various sessions and compiled reports that would be consolidated into a national document for submission to responsible ministries.
While the official report was yet to be released publicly, Zinhanga said Kwekwe had already benefited from engagements with potential investors.
He said one organisation expressed interest in expanding its capacity-building programmes to Kwekwe after previously operating in Harare.
According to Zinhanga, the organisation focuses on training councillors and local authority employees rather than providing direct financial assistance.
“They do not give money but they give capacity,” he said.
Zinhanga said another organisation involved in financing local authorities had also shown interest in engaging with Kwekwe City Council.
He said the institution specialises in ERP systems and solutions for billing and debt recovery, which could assist councils in improving revenue collection and financial management.
“I am thinking of inviting them to come to Kwekwe since they will be coming to Harare so that they can interact with the town clerk and the technical team,” he said.
Zinhanga said the discussions were still at an early stage and further engagements would be needed before any agreements are finalised.
