The Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) in collaboration with Magamba Network has launched a project that seeks to engage citizens on issues relating to Public Finance Management (PFM) in the country.
Code named Chibhubhu/Isbhubu, the soccer simulation project seeks to take the form of an issue based soccer commentary using influential people to breakdown the technical issues relating to public finance and economic governance.
Speaking at the launch in Harare, Thursday ZIMCODD programs officer John Maketo the launch aimed to increase economic literacy among citizens.
“We acknowledge the role of citizen’s oversight in the management of public resources, it seeks to entrench accountability in how public funds are handled. We need to increase citizens economic literacy, their understanding of how public funds work and how laws around that function. We also need to ensure that there is room for interface between citizens and office bearers,” said Maketo.
According to ZIMCODD the simulation activity is designed in a way that enables the presentation of Public finance management issues mimicking the soccer commentary in a dramatic manner that attracts soccer fans and drama loving citizens.
The project will be aired on local radio stations and will be broadcast in English, Shona and Ndebele as it seeks to appeal to diverse groups of the population and incorporating targeted groups.
The Chibhubhu/Isbhubu project comes at a time ZIMCODD carried a survey which showed that 87% of the population is not privy to the national budget architecture, but the government will go ahead and implement the 2022 budget.
