Debating the implications of the urban councils act Chapter 29.15 (1996) on the practice of good corporate governance in Zimbabwe’s urban local authorities

A publication by Edson Paul Mutema, a Lecturer in the Department of Local Governance, Midlands State University,This paper debates the implications of the Urban Councils Act (UCA) on the practice of good corporate governance in Zimbabwean urban local authorities. The study revealed that the act upholds corporate governance in urban councils through providing for: council meetings that are open to the public and the press, council minutes which are available for public inspection and a municipal procurement board that manages the tender system of urban councils just to mention a few. However the study also revealed that despite these positive implications the act is counterproductive to the practice of good corporate governance. The UCA is silent on the minimum academic qualifications for one to be a councilor. The act bestows excessive powers to the Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development which creates an environment where central government dominates in the affairs of urban local authorities. The findings of this study have implications that assist in crafting an effective legal instrument critical in developing a sound corporate governance system for urban local authorities