Summit 2016 – Kadoma City Council COE

Situated in a vibrant mining town. The council is synonymous for its Waste management programme.  Affectionately known as the ‘City of Gold’, Kadoma City Council has been at the fore of numerous campaign activities on the 50/50 as well as responding to Gender-Based Violence in the community.

The city has developed a Code of conduct for Council employees that incorporates Gender aspects like Sexual harassment at work. A Gender Action Plan for 2016 is in place. The City is a Centre of Excellence and runs Gender mainstreaming programs. Attendance registers for council meetings now had gender dis aggregated data.

The council has 17 councillors. There are 15 male councillors and two female councillors. The council has no committees. There are more boys than girls, and the Junior Council is a female.

Women, PWD and youths participate in council work through consultative meetings, working as community-based organizations and actual council employment. Between 26 and 50 percent women participate in the public consultations.

Pursuant to the Gender Policy provisions, Kadoma City Council has attained Centre of Excellence status following capacity building training offered by Gender Links. The City’s gender mainstreaming programs became more evident with the establishment of Council Gender Committee charged with the overseeing of gender programming, the appointment of Gender Focal Person supported by departmental Gender Focal Persons. These Focal persons coordinate gender activities at Council and departmental levels respectively. The Council has adopted an Equal opportunity employer position and all council programs are promoting gender and social inclusion.

There are provisions for maternity leave within the council. The council has a policy against sexual harassment. Sexual harassment management is incorporated into the Code of Conduct for Council Employees and is classified among serious offences that an employee can commit. It is actually one of the punishable offences at Council level which may lead to dismissal. Sexual harassment cases have direct access to the national statutes enforced by different arms of government and at the door step is the Zimbabwe Republic Police. So management of these cases is multi-pronged. Communal sanitary facilities in Ngezi suburb are friendly to PWD, wide doors, rails, functioning and well maintained.

Kadoma Council has allocated budget from 2015 and 2016 to support gender-related projects.

Council a Local Environment Action Plan (LEAP) that incorporates climate change mitigation strategies, Departmental plans include climate issues especial from the Housing and Community Service, Health and Environmental Services and Works departments. Ongoing Climate change activities include: Rainwater harvesting, Tree planting- a tree for each child born, Education and Awareness, Use of clean energy –Solar traffic lights and ongoing waste clean-up campaigns.