Wards & Councillors

JUNIOR COUNCIL

Junior Council is the junior local authority, with the same jurisdiction as that of the Cities, Municipalities, Towns, Local Boards or RDCs where the junior council would be based. They have the council made up of the Junior Mayor or Chairperson as the head, the Deputy, Town Secretary, Projects Coordinator, Treasurer, Public Relations Department, Chief of Committees Clerk and Directors etc. These positions are the skeleton of any junior council. The rest of the Junior Councillors make up the General Assembly representing various wards. The maximum number of councillors varies with the number of wards and with the number of schools in a particular Local Authority. Councillors are drawn from students who will be doing their ‘O’ level and/ or ‘A’ level form in schools and colleges in the town or city. However, there may be a case where there are primary schools in the in a Local Authority’s jurisdiction that would be interested in the affairs of Junior Council and would want to be a part of the group.

BACKGROUND OF JUNIOR COUNCIL

 Junior council was formed as a non-political and non-profit making organization whose aims were to provide young adults with experience in government and governance. It sought to;

1. Create an organization representative of all the secondary and high schools within the area under the jurisdiction of the senior council.
2. Create a liaison between the young people of a city and the City council

• Provide the young people of a city with a means by which they make known their opinions and feelings

1. Provide a means by which senior scholars may obtain knowledge of civic affairs
2. Encourage a desire among the younger citizens of a city to participate actively in the affairs of the city.

These values are the parameters that act as guidelines within which all junior councils conduct their affairs. Junior Councils strive to conduct their affairs in a way that conforms to the above mentioned values and principles. Junior Council is not a place where students entertain themselves, like most people think. At junior council, it is serious business throughout the whole term of office of the sitting junior councillors. Junior Council’s always try to make sure that when the next junior council takes office, it adopts that spirit of hard work, efficiency and competence and carries it further. Junior Council also promotes student activism. Junior Council teaches and inspires children to be focused.

WHAT IS JUNIOR COUNCIL?

A Junior Council is a form of Local Government led by minors or children. It is composed of child public officials elected into office. It has the same structures as those of the Senior Council with the only difference being that it is voluntary, a political and almost like a social welfare group. It gives the children a unique opportunity to be involved in civic affairs and government. A Junior Council has the same jurisdiction as that of the Senior Council. It is responsible for representing all the children under its jurisdiction, be it primary school going or high school children as well as supervising any other club, in school or local based, that involves children and works with children. As the junior local government, it is also a regulatory body for all activities which deal with children or minors.

PURPOSE OF A JUNIOR COUNCIL

Junior Council specifies on the following aspects:

1. Defending child’s rights
2. Developing social awareness

• Youth development

Defending child’s rights

Junior Council is supposed to approach issues of children with the utmost care and professionalism. Increased involvement of children in other matters is also encouraged to all stakeholders. Junior Council defend the following child’s rights;

1. Right to education-Junior Council deal with the right to education. This right enables all children to go to school. This right is enshrined in the bill of rights which houses the fundamental rights in our constitution. Section 81 (1) (f) of the Zimbabwean constitution states that “Every child, that is to say every boy and girl under the age of eighteen years, has the right- to education…”
2. Right to participation-This is the right which brought about the formation and adoption of junior council. One of the provisions of the Junior Councils constitution stipulates that the reason for the existence of junior council is, “to provide the young people of Zimbabwe with a means by which they make known their opinions and feelings.”1 How do we make our opinions known to the policy makers? The most effective way is by being directly involved in the civic affairs of our town. By bringing together students from different schools under one banner, we show a unity of purpose, and we are certain nothing beats a group of determined children advocating for the very basis upon which their lives depend.
3. Right to identity-Junior Council deals with the right to identity of the children when denied the right to identity, it is as good as losing your humanity. Identity is a badge of belonging, a symbol of participation and inclusion, without which you do not have either. For children, it is in the form of a birth certificate. Section 81 (1) (c) of the Zimbabwean constitution states that, “Every child has the right to the prompt provision of a birth certificate.” If the law is this clear, then it is a cause for wonder how parents or guardians can be ignorant of such a fact.

Developing social awareness

Social awareness, is another aspect that Junior Council try to deal with and develop in children. Junior Council will be responsible for seeking out information about what is happening in the communities around us this includes the norms, cultures and problems. Having a greater awareness of these leads to a better understanding and coming up with better solutions. At junior council, all children are taught to embrace each and every person as themselves.

Youth development

This is another aspect that the Junior Council deals with. Junior Council meet the basic personal and social needs of youths to be safe, feel cared for, be valued, be useful and to  be spiritually grounded and to build skills and competencies that allow them to function and contribute in their daily lives. It is an important factor in that, during the earlier stages of life, young people experience profound physical changes, rapid growth and development, and sexual maturation in addition to psychological and social changes. It is widely believed that this often leads to issues with personal identity, sense of self and emotional independence. Every development comes with a challenge and, in an attempt to address those challenges, youth may engage in behaviours considered to be experimental and risky. During this time, public health and social problems begin or peak such as substance use and abuse, sexually transmitted infections and teen and unplanned pregnancies. Junior Council address the positive development of young people to decrease these problems by facilitating their adoption of healthy behaviours and helping to ensure a healthy transition into adulthood. Junior Council also engage the local youth in activities such as clean up campaigns where they are directly involved in bringing about a positive development.

PROCEDURES TO SET UP A JUNIOR COUNCIL

1. Write letter to schools – A letter is sent to each and every member school requesting the senior councillors with the help of senior teachers to select students from form four and lower six .
2. Elections –Two or three candidates per ward to be brought for elections.
3. Interviews-After the elections, Interviews will be conducted by Councillors for the candidates who won the elections.
4. Induction and Training – Soon after the interviews, one month intensive training period begins where  various factors will be looked at using different methodologies. Some of the qualities that are required from junior councillors are patience, commitment, passion, integrity, leadership, an understanding of the society, courage, humility, service, sacrifice, innovation and perseverance. Dealing with issues affecting children is a very sensitive task which needs the utmost care and full training. Thus the training as very much necessary.
5. At the end of the month, a maximum of five and a minimum of two successful prospective are chosen from each school to become honourable junior councillors
6. Once in office, the junior councillors are allocated wards according to a number of criterion, chief among them the place of residence and location of school.
7. The elected councillors elect for their chairperson and committee members.
8. The councillors are also divided into committees headed by the Chief of Committees Clerk. There are four committees in any Junior Council namely Sport and Entertainment, Social Services, Finance and Fundraising and Youth Development and Awareness. These committees have a membership of at least two schools and a maximum of three, in accordance with the number of schools in a Junior Council in that particular year. Each committee is headed by a committee clerk. The term of office for junior councillors is one year, starting in July of each year and ending in May subject to any changes and provisions provided for in the junior council constitution. In other areas, the term of office begins in October and ends in September.

PERIOD OF RECRUITMENT

Period of recruitment is when the results of lower six are out

FUNDING

Local Authority within the jurisdiction for instance Shurugwi Town Council is responsible for the funding of Junior Council. When a Local Authority do their budget they set aside Junior Councils activities and budget for their activities.

Income Generating projects also contribute to the funding of Junior Council.

PAYMENTS

Junior Councils are not entitled to any salary, however when they are travelling for their meetings and activities the council is responsible for their travelling and subsistence expenses.

STAKEHOLDERS

Civil society organisation

Government

Non-governmental organisation

Development partners

Ministry of education

PATRON

Someone who is senior in the council or a policy maker in the council can be a Patron to Junior Council.

FOCAL POINT PERSON

Someone in the Local Authority especially the management can be Focal Point Person. He or she must be someone who gives his or her time to the Junior Council despite other duties.

REPORT AND GUIDE

Junior Council report to the jurisdiction within the area thus Shurugwi Town Council.

VENUE FOR THEIR MEETINGS

Shurugwi Town Council’s board room.

AGENDA ITEMS

Focus on advocating on inclusive service delivery .Service delivery should be friendly to the children and youths. Junior Council focus mainly on:

• Education
• Health care
• Recreational facility
• Wellbeing of children.