Antony Chawagarira
KADOMA– The government has intensified efforts to improve service delivery by urging local authorities to translate development plans into measurable results that directly improve the lives of residents.
Local Government and Public Works Permanent Secretary Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti said councils should move away from routine meetings, reports and promises and focus on delivering essential services and infrastructure to communities.
Addressing a local government transformation workshop in Kadoma recently, Eng Muguti said the National Clean-Up, Restoration, Order and Safety Programme, which was initially launched in Harare, was being rolled out to local authorities across the country.
He said the programme should go beyond clean-up campaigns and become a sustained intervention aimed at restoring order, reclaiming public spaces and strengthening municipal systems.
“The people of Zimbabwe do not experience Government through policy documents; they experience Government through the availability of clean and reliable water, functioning roads, effective refuse collection, adequate sewerage systems, serviced residential, commercial and industrial land, functioning markets and responsive local authorities,” said Eng Muguti.
He said local authorities had a critical role to play in creating clean, orderly and functional communities capable of attracting investment and supporting economic activity.
Eng Muguti challenged councils to shift from simply managing existing problems to anticipating challenges and implementing solutions before they developed into crises.
“Every infrastructure investment must respond to an identified need and must have a measurable outcome,” he said.
He said improved service delivery should be underpinned by sound financial management, enhanced revenue mobilisation, accountability and compliance, while warning councils against treating turnaround strategies as an end in themselves.
“Where there are challenges, do not simply bring those challenges to the Ministry. Bring a solution, identify a responsible officer, provide a timeline and set measurable targets,” he said.
The Ministry is also set to strengthen monitoring of local authorities through a quarterly performance matrix that will publicly reflect the performance of councils.
The initiative is expected to provide a mechanism for tracking progress in key areas of service delivery while encouraging local authorities to remain focused on measurable outcomes.
Meanwhile, local authority leaders said they were already implementing measures aimed at improving service delivery and strengthening their financial and operational systems.
Makonde Rural District Council Chief Executive Officer Dr Paradzayi Munyede said the authority had introduced measures and incentives aimed at improving revenue collection.
Chinhoyi Municipality Town Clerk Biriat Tasarira said the council had begun enforcing the Restoration, Order and Safety Programme as part of efforts to maintain order in the city.
Zvishavane Town Council Acting Secretary Anele Gumbochuma said the local authority was aligning capital expenditure with critical infrastructure needs, service delivery priorities and Minimum Service Delivery Standards.
“We are ensuring that public resources are directed towards infrastructure that improves the quality of life of citizens while simultaneously creating an environment conducive to investment and economic activity,” he said.
The workshop also considered issues relating to road maintenance disbursements to road authorities, operational challenges and procurement processes affecting local authorities.
