President Emmerson Mnangagwa
By Dickson Bandera
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has called on Zimbabwe’s 92 local authorities to urgently address service delivery failures and refocus on the needs of the ratepaying public, warning that continued negligence and poor performance by some councils is unacceptable.
Speaking at the All-Councillors Indaba held in Bulawayo this Thursday, which brought together 2 585 policy makers and local government executives, the President said it was time for local authorities to realign their operations with national development goals and be guided by the interests of the people they serve.
“In line with this year’s theme, therefore, you are all called upon to put in place systems that will lead to both qualitative and quantitative changes in your local authorities,” he said. “In doing so, you must always be guided by the best interests of ratepayers, while also inculcating a work culture for high impact results.”
The Indaba comes at a time when citizens across the country have raised alarm over the worsening state of basic services such as water supply, waste management, road maintenance, and housing.
In response, Government has set up Commissions of Inquiry, instituted arrests of errant officials, promulgated new policies and introduced a Service Delivery Blueprint titled Call to Action – No Compromise to Service Delivery, which was launched in November 2023.
President Mnangagwa noted with concern the continued reports of dereliction of duty and misconduct within some local authorities.
“It is disheartening that we still receive reports of the alarming levels of dereliction of duty, acts of omission and commission, by a number of local authorities. This situation is untenable. We owe the people of our great country greater commitment and responsibility as we execute the mandate given to us.”
He said local governance structures should serve as the bedrock of Zimbabwe’s development agenda and not be a hindrance. “Local Authorities must be the solid base upon which we build our country and grow every sector of the economy; you, thus, cannot afford to be a poor foundation.”
The Head of State challenged councillors and officials to fully embrace the national vision of becoming an upper middle-income society by 2030. “I challenge you to provide the requisite ecosystem for the realisation of our Vision of becoming a prosperous and empowered upper middle-income society by 2030.”
To enhance accountability and performance monitoring, Government has introduced the Minimum Service Delivery Standards, a tool developed by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, which will be used to track council performance and determine eligibility for national awards.
“These standards span across eight service delivery areas, namely: Housing and Community Services; water supply; Sanitation Management; Solid Waste Management; Roads and Public Lighting; Corporate Governance; Public Health; as well as Environmental Stewardship,” the President said.
“This evidence-based system will form the basis for performance awards for local authorities, starting from the 2025 fiscal year.”
He also called for greater collaboration between Central Government and councils. “As public officials, we remain guided by our national development philosophy ‘Nyika inovakwa, inotongwa, inonamatigwa nevene vayo; Ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe, likhulekelwe ngabanikazi balo’. All of us, at every level, have duties and roles that must be undertaken with efficacy and financial prudence.”
The President further urged all local authorities to act with urgency, saying “a situation where interventions are made when systems have totally collapsed within our local authorities is not acceptable.”
The Indaba reaffirmed Government’s resolve to strengthen the performance of local authorities and ensure that ratepayers across Zimbabwe receive quality, timely, and accountable services.
