Participatory development (PD): NGOs and developmental practice in Zimbabwe

• Main Author: Hwati, Lucky
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: University of Fort Hare 2013
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1015315

The rising to prominence of Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) as essential partners to development was as a result of a shift in development authority into decentralized governance. Prior to this, the state was the central player in development. At liberation from political colonial control, most African governments adopted a centralized governance system. This meant that even in their drive to eco-socio development the state was the sole and most important driver. As explained by Allen (1995), in order to keep their grip on power, African leaders invented different solutions. Among them was an amplified centralization of its administrative device, or the creation of a centralized bureaucratic organization. Indeed, from 1960, the majority of African leaders banned political competition and instituted one-party regimes under which an ever-expanding bureaucracy was used to distribute resources to political allies, often under the form of membership in administrative positions (Allen, 1995). It was this need to keep a firm grip on power which saw most governments spearheading their own development, with NGOs playing a peripheral role. In the second instance, the state was instrumental in leading development. Throughout Africa, numerous government boards and ministries were created, each with a specific role to play in development (Willis, 2011; Allen, 1995). In the same way, most governments instituted policies and plans, with specific time frames, where certain development targets were supposed to be met. This system was adopted and became more pronounced in countries such as Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.