Summit 2018 – Beitbridge Municipality

Beitbridge is situated in Matebeleland South. This is the town that borders Zimbabwe and South Africa. It experiences a high level of migration. Beitbridge border post is one of the busiest borders in Southern Africa. The council has launched a “Go Green, Go Clean” campaign in a bid for a sustainable clean town. Though a border Town, it is one of the cleanest towns in Zimbabwe. The council has experienced tremendous growth in learning and knowing how to mainstream gender from the onset of its interactions with Gender Links through the Local Government COE process. Gender issues were hardly topical in the previous structure. It has now 3 female councillors from 1 in the previous term and the councillors representation is at 50/50. More information can be accessed on the council website.

The council has a gender policy which is currently under review that guides their operations vis-à-vis gender and service provision. Currently, there are six councillors and the council has a 50-50 representation of councillors in council. The mayor is female. Beitbridge Municipality has four committees, and only one is chaired by a woman. In Beitbridge young people, people with disabilities and women in the community participate mostly in participate freely in ward development and budget consultative meetings. Women’s attendance to these meetings is usually at par with that of men as 26-50% of women participate at these meetings.

Beitbridge has a total workforce of 297 (228 men; 69 women). Five out of the 21 managers in council are women. Only female security guards and meter readers in Beitbridge work in non-traditional areas of employment. Zimbabwe by law prescribes maternity leave thus Beitbridge provisions for it. The council does not prescribe to paternity leave. The council has a Sexual Harassment policy whose matters are addressed by the Administration and Human Resources officer. The council has ensured Disability-friendly access to its buildings by constructing ramps to the council boardroom and ablution facilities.

Beitbridge Municipality allocates makes budgetary provisions to gender-related projects from 2016 to 2017 as below:

Beitbridge works in the area of climate change and has a local environmental plan in place. Youths are involved in monthly cleanup campaigns. Recycling activities involve both men and women. Council participates in stakeholder meetings conducted by departments such as Environmental Management Agency (EMA), Met Office and District Civil protection unit (DCPU) on issues such as floods and heat waves.

There is a formalisation of recyclers with the council through the issuance of operating permits. Recyclers have designated points where they are allowed to operate from. Men and women have benefited from a waste water treatment and recycling project in which the council was a partner.

Click here to read more about Beitbridge Municipality.