Traditional Leaders - Training Modules Local Councillors’ Workshops There was unfortunately no training of traditional leaders during the year, an area where previously the LRF has achieved positive results. The training is set to take on a structured approach and the LRF completed its part in the editing and proof reading of the first module for the training of traditional leaders, “Introduction to Law and Procedure in the Local Courts” and what is awaited is the endorsement from the Chiefs’ Council and the Chief Magistrates Office before organising a Training of Trainers workshop. The trainers will include magistrates, lawyers from the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, and the LRF, and the President and Vice President of the Chiefs’ Council. The implementation of the training for chiefs and headmen cannot commence until this process has been completed A final workshop in a series was held with 17 Masvingo City councillors and city officials to increase their knowledge of the provisions of relevant Acts and key areas such as gender sensitivity and good governance and to strengthen their capacity to discharge their duties effectively and efficiently. The workshops covered topics such as concepts of good governance and relevant provisions affecting councillors in the Urban Councils Act, with the aim of improving service delivery and finding ways for local authorities and their residents and ratepayers to work together. This generated interest from the participants as some of them had not been exposed to training specifically intended for elected officials. During an evaluation of the workshops carried out three months later, through focus group discussions and administering of questionnaires, 95% of participants confirmed they had found the knowledge useful and they were now able to engage citizens in the planning and implementation of projects as a way of enhancing good corporate governance. Residents and Ratepayers’ Association Workshop Traditional leaders in Mutoko after focus group discussions Judges Secretaries The LRF conducted two trainings for judges’ secretaries, transcribers and executive assistants from the Supreme/Constitutional Court, the High Court and the Labour Court on the presentation of judgments and the importance of such issues as preserving the identity of juveniles. Over 40 people attended, all of whom received reference notes covering the ZLR Style Guide for Editors. 26 Legal Resources Foundation Annual Report 2015 A complementary workshop was held in December 2014 for the Masvingo Residents and Ratepayers Association to enhance their knowledge of their rights and the role of the local government to enable them to advocate confidently for better service delivery from local authorities. There was lively debate amongst the 31 attendees on the issue of engagement versus confrontation, with some participants being of the view that demonstrations were the only way to get the Council’s attention, but generally there was agreement to utilise the law as a way of challenging local authorities rather than using confrontation. The participants recommended that they develop a balanced score card for the Masvingo public to review the councillors’ performances in the running of the affairs of the city. There was a strong call for the alignment of the Urban Councils Act to the Constitution.