Facilitating the development of an institutional model in Mzingwane Catchment Council Some Lessons Emmanuel Manzungu Department of Soil Science and Agricultural

Facilitating the development of Facilitating the development of an institutional model in an institutional model in

Mzingwane Catchment CouncilMzingwane Catchment Council

Some LessonsSome Lessons

Emmanuel Manzungu Emmanuel Manzungu

Department of Soil Science and Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering,Agricultural Engineering,

University of ZimbabweUniversity of Zimbabwe

THREE CRITICAL QUESTIONS:THREE CRITICAL QUESTIONS:

• 1. Who are the water users?1. Who are the water users?

• 2. How can the water users best be represented?2. How can the water users best be represented?

• 3. How to deal with representation at different scales: 3. How to deal with representation at different scales: – a) locala) local– b) sub-catchment councilb) sub-catchment council– c) catchment councilc) catchment council– d) basin d) basin

CONTEXT –SCALE AND BOUNDARIESCONTEXT –SCALE AND BOUNDARIESHydrological boundariesHydrological boundaries

• Country divided into Country divided into catchment and sub-catchment and sub-catchment areascatchment areas

• Presided over by Presided over by catchment and sub-catchment and sub-catchment councilscatchment councils

• Boundaries determined Boundaries determined by techniciansby technicians

MZINGWANE

GWAYI

AK

BN1

AZ2

BN2

AD

AT

AM

AN

AS3

BUZ1

AS2AG1

AB1

BB1

AL

BR

AS1

AS6

AG2

BL2

AR

AZ1

BB2

AG3

BS2 BUZ2BT1

AB2

BT4 BN3

AS5

AG6

BUZ3

BS5

BL1

AB3

BMBIN1

AG5

BB3

AS4

BS1

BIN2

AIN

AG4

BS4

BT2

BS6

BT5BT3

BNC

BL3

BIKBUZ4

Subzone.shpCatchments.shp

200 0 200 400 Miles

N

EW

S

Catchments and Subzones


• Mzingwane catchment (Limpopo basin in Zimbabwe) divided into 4 sub-catchment council areas-Shashe-Upper Mzingwane-Lower Mzingwane &-Mwenezi


Notable Deficiencies:• 1) General lack of awareness of the new

institutions• 2) Gap between grassroots water users, e.g.

smallholder irrigation schemes, primary users and the sub-catchment council

• 3) Poor link between catchment council and basin institution

CONTEXT –SCALE AND BOUNDARIESCONTEXT –SCALE AND BOUNDARIES

Socio-politicalSocio-political administrativeadministrative boundariesboundaries

• Socio-political administrative boundaries (local; government) are an important reality

• Are a mixture of traditional, elected and appointed (executive) institutions

• Reflect both national and local dynamics and sometimes even regional dynamics

• Local government system is heavily layered

• Any institutional model has to take account of this

Ministry Chiefs Council

Nation

P A Chiefs Province

Parliament

Provincial Governor

Provincial Council

District Administrator

Headman /Kraalheads

WADCO?

Chief (s) /Headman/men

District Rural Development Council

Traditional village

??

Ward

KraalheadsVillage VIDCO?

Kraalhead

Executive Elected Jurisdiction Traditional

THE PROCESS OF MODEL DEVELOPMENTA bottom up approach

• Decision to start at the grassroots level• Mzingwane Catchment Council and ZINWA

chose Shashe sub-catchment as the pilot • Three wards representing

-Irrigation scheme that uses water from ZINWA dam-Irrigation scheme using water ‘illegally’-Irrigation scheme using ZINWA-operated pumps (sand abstraction)

Model development in three wardsModel development in three wards

ANSWERING QUESTION 1ANSWERING QUESTION 1Who are the water users/stakeholders?Who are the water users/stakeholders?

• We avoided We avoided pre-identification of stakeholderspre-identification of stakeholders

• We allowed local people to identify who the We allowed local people to identify who the stakeholders werestakeholders were

• We adopted the We adopted the least resistance approachleast resistance approach –start –start with less controversial issueswith less controversial issues– Started with WATER USES and not WATER USERS, Started with WATER USES and not WATER USERS,

in case there was a squabble between some usersin case there was a squabble between some users– Avoided asking first what were the water Avoided asking first what were the water

problemsproblems– From water uses people were asked to list water From water uses people were asked to list water

usersusers


• Local people admitted Local people admitted forgetting number, forgetting number, location and status of location and status of boreholes!boreholes!

• Even the preliminary Even the preliminary session could not sort session could not sort out the problem –PRA out the problem –PRA blues!!!blues!!!

• Men tend to know less Men tend to know less about boreholes!!!!about boreholes!!!!


• Student-assisted Student-assisted map of water map of water resources at ward resources at ward levellevel

• Important for Important for information and information and local solidaritylocal solidarity

ANSWERING QUESTION 1ANSWERING QUESTION 1Who are the water users?Who are the water users?

The exercise in THREE wards in Shashe produced the The exercise in THREE wards in Shashe produced the following categories of water users:following categories of water users:

Makwe: Makwe: Primary usersPrimary users (domestic, brickmakers, livestock (domestic, brickmakers, livestock owners), owners), Irrigators,Irrigators, minersminers (large scale and panners) (large scale and panners)

Hwabayi: Hwabayi: Primary usersPrimary users (domestic, brickmakers, builders, (domestic, brickmakers, builders, businesses, livestock owners),businesses, livestock owners), irrigators irrigators

Guyu: Guyu: Primary usersPrimary users (domestic, gardeners, livestock (domestic, gardeners, livestock owners, schools, businesses, Police, Army) owners, schools, businesses, Police, Army) irrigatorsirrigators

ANSWERING QUESTION 1ANSWERING QUESTION 1Who are the stakeholders?Who are the stakeholders?

Categories of stakeholders across the wardsCategories of stakeholders across the wards• Primary water usersPrimary water users• IrrigatorsIrrigators• MinersMiners• OthersOthersRainfed farmers were mentioned but Rainfed farmers were mentioned but

considered not to warrant a separate groupconsidered not to warrant a separate groupIn what way are these different from the In what way are these different from the

existing categories as captured by the top existing categories as captured by the top down approach? down approach?

ANSWERING QUESTION 1ANSWERING QUESTION 1Who are the stakeholders?Who are the stakeholders?

•Rural District Councils. Rural District Councils. •Communal Farmers.Communal Farmers.•Resettlement Farmers.Resettlement Farmers.•Small scale commercial farmers.Small scale commercial farmers.•Large scale commercial farmers.Large scale commercial farmers.•Indigenous commercial farmers.Indigenous commercial farmers.•Urban authorities.Urban authorities.•Large scale mines.Large scale mines.•Small scale mines.Small scale mines.•Industry and any other stakeholder group the SCC Industry and any other stakeholder group the SCC

may identifymay identifyTHIS LIST OF STAKEHOLDERS WAS CONSIDERED THIS LIST OF STAKEHOLDERS WAS CONSIDERED

TO BE OUT OF DATETO BE OUT OF DATE

ANSWERING QUESTION 2ANSWERING QUESTION 2How best to represent stakeholders?How best to represent stakeholders?

OptionsOptions• Current system as spelt out by statutory Current system as spelt out by statutory

instrument – not known and unsuitable instrument – not known and unsuitable • Existing water points committees –rejected as Existing water points committees –rejected as

ineffectiveineffective• Traditional leaders - not welcome unless electedTraditional leaders - not welcome unless elected• Ward political councillors - not wantedWard political councillors - not wanted• Dedicated water institution above water points Dedicated water institution above water points

committeescommittees• Representation by villages or ward? Representation by villages or ward?

ANSWERING QUESTION 2ANSWERING QUESTION 2How best to represent stakeholders?How best to represent stakeholders?

• ‘‘Village’ was too small/unsuitable Village’ was too small/unsuitable

• Ward - most appropriate as it is the most Ward - most appropriate as it is the most common social organising principlecommon social organising principle

• Therefore form a Ward Water Users Therefore form a Ward Water Users Association (WWA). Association (WWA).

• WWA can be seen an extension of WWA can be seen an extension of activities of what happens at a ward e.g. activities of what happens at a ward e.g. food distribution, elections, etc & hence is food distribution, elections, etc & hence is not a new institutionnot a new institution

ANSWERING QUESTION 2ANSWERING QUESTION 2 Constituting a Ward Water Users CommitteeConstituting a Ward Water Users Committee

Effective Ward Water Users Committee meansEffective Ward Water Users Committee means

a) Deciding on composition of the committee:a) Deciding on composition of the committee:

• Base on agreed categories of stakeholdersBase on agreed categories of stakeholders

• Recall the following:Recall the following:

Primary users, irrigators, miners, othersPrimary users, irrigators, miners, others

• Therefore at minimum have 3 members per Therefore at minimum have 3 members per ward according to main stakeholder groupsward according to main stakeholder groups

ANSWERING QUESTION 3ANSWERING QUESTION 3Representation at subcatchment council Representation at subcatchment council levellevel

• Committee can incorporate other stakeholders e.g. Committee can incorporate other stakeholders e.g. traditional leaders, ward councillor, local NGOs etc traditional leaders, ward councillor, local NGOs etc with no voting rights.with no voting rights.

i) Subcatchment council accommodates 15 members i) Subcatchment council accommodates 15 members and yet there are and yet there are 72 wards72 wards in Shashe subcatchment in Shashe subcatchment (216 ward representatives is unworkable)(216 ward representatives is unworkable)

ii) Solution is to base representation on district (Shashe ii) Solution is to base representation on district (Shashe has 4 districts –let each of the 3 stakeholder group be has 4 districts –let each of the 3 stakeholder group be represented = represented = 12 ward representatives in 12 ward representatives in subcatchment councilsubcatchment council

iii) Ward representatives in a district are an electoral iii) Ward representatives in a district are an electoral college (or body of people who elect representatives college (or body of people who elect representatives from among themselves)from among themselves)

ANSWERING QUESTION 3ANSWERING QUESTION 3 Representation at subcatchment council Representation at subcatchment council levellevel

• Remaining three slots can be occupied by other Remaining three slots can be occupied by other interests e.g. commercial farmers, large scale interests e.g. commercial farmers, large scale miners, town councils, tourist operatorminers, town councils, tourist operator

• The process did not go beyond the The process did not go beyond the subcatchment level partly because subcatchment level partly because

* everyone was tired. * everyone was tired. * It was not unclear whether local people would want * It was not unclear whether local people would want to engageto engage

ANSWERING QUESTION 3ANSWERING QUESTION 3 Representation –Extrapolation to other Representation –Extrapolation to other subcatchmentssubcatchments

• Upper Mzingwane has 51 wards and 3 districts• Lower Mzingwane has 39 wards and 3 districts• Mwenezi has 54 wards and 4 districts• This means that ward representation will not be a

problem – there is no subcatchment bigger than the Shashe.

ANSWERING QUESTION 3ANSWERING QUESTION 3Representation at catchment councilRepresentation at catchment council

The meeting of subcatchment and catchment The meeting of subcatchment and catchment councilors convened in Bulawayo resolved the councilors convened in Bulawayo resolved the following:following:

-it endorsed the formation of Ward Water Users -it endorsed the formation of Ward Water Users AssociationsAssociations

-agreed with the election procedures at ward and -agreed with the election procedures at ward and district leveldistrict level

-Current practice of four subcatchment council -Current practice of four subcatchment council going to sit at the catchment council should be going to sit at the catchment council should be maintained. maintained.

ANSWERING QUESTION 3ANSWERING QUESTION 3Representation at the basin levelRepresentation at the basin level

• Direct representation at basin level institution e.g. Direct representation at basin level institution e.g. LBPTC/LIMCOM) through the Chairman of LBPTC/LIMCOM) through the Chairman of Mzingwane Catchment Council (is this possible Mzingwane Catchment Council (is this possible because countries can bring in advisors?) was because countries can bring in advisors?) was strongly recommendedstrongly recommended

• Insisted on transparency and accountability e.g. Insisted on transparency and accountability e.g. government representatives should consult and government representatives should consult and provide feedback of what happens at the basinprovide feedback of what happens at the basin

• Basin forum that includes users from all four Basin forum that includes users from all four riparian countries?riparian countries?

New organogramNew organogram

Conclusions Conclusions Conceptual issuesConceptual issues

• In developing a model• Start with local water needs –not revenue collection or

water resource management • Find common ground • Rely on most appropriate existing institutions and seek to

strengthen them -a new broom does not always sweep clean!

• Socio-political boundaries should not be ignored –seek to create complementarities with hydrologically-based institutions

• Do not assume the traditional level is best –the ward with no traditional heritage emerged as the best platform

Conclusions Conclusions Conceptual issuesConceptual issues

• Avoid over -aggregation where relevant details are lost e.g. stakeholders identified by the government

• Avoid atomisation syndrome where local unviable institutions (for narrow purposes) are promoted

• Model should be platform for general local water management issues

• Model should be development platform (e.g. in Zim wards are required to produce development plans)

• Model to deepen democracy?

Conclusions Conclusions The futureThe future

• The model was not testedThe model was not tested

• Therefore model needs to be carried to Therefore model needs to be carried to implementationimplementation– In ShasheIn Shashe– in other subcatchments in Mzingwanein other subcatchments in Mzingwane– Compared to Botswana, Mozambique and Compared to Botswana, Mozambique and

South AfricaSouth Africa– Lessons learnt disseminated to other river Lessons learnt disseminated to other river

basinsbasins

Documents

Facilitating the development of an institutional model in Mzingwane Catchment Council Some Lessons Emmanuel Manzungu Department of Soil Science and Agricultural