Hwange Colliery Company de facto authority in 8 wards, residents cut out of devolution funds
Hwange faces a unique governance challenge, with Hwange Colliery Company Limited (HCCL) acting as a de facto local authority across eight of the town's 15 wards, leaving residents excluded from devolution funds and formal council representation.
Community advocate Nkosi Sibanda says residents in the colliery-administered areas are cut off from key local governance and development resources enjoyed by other wards.
in an interview, Sibanda said the arrangement, a colonial legacy that has persisted, means thousands of residents do not have councillors directly representing them on service delivery issues.
"Residents in these eight wards are excluded from devolution funds and lack councillors directly representing them on service delivery issues," Sibanda said.
He argued that the dual governance system creates inequality in access to local government services.
"The arrangement leaves thousands of residents without the same access to local governance and development resources as other wards," he said.
Hwange is divided into 15 wards, with more than half under the administration of the coal mining company, which provides water, housing and other basic services in those areas, but is not a constitutionally recognised local authority.
- Pistol lands couple in court
- Poaching syndicates trap vulnerable villagers
- Finance minister reminded of PWDs
- Big send-off for Cont Mhlanga
Keep Reading
Sibanda said this leaves residents in a governance grey area, where they cannot fully benefit from the devolution agenda and council budgets that other wards enjoy, while service delivery remains tied to a struggling parastatal.
Stakeholders have previously called for a clear roadmap to transfer the administration of the eight wards to Hwange Local Board to ensure equal representation and equitable distribution of devolution funds and development projects.
