Harare, (New Ziana) -There is need for local authorities to determine the costs of service delivery, ensure consistency in providing it, and establish clear mechanisms for citizens to give feedback on their satisfaction levels, a Cabinet Minister said on Wednesday.
Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said this during a sensitisation workshop focused on unpacking Minimum Service Delivery Standards (MSDS), the State Land Management Policy, the launch of the MSDS implementation dashboard, and the handover of Starlink internet kits to support data reporting.
“These standards are not only meant to guide councils but to empower citizens. Every local authority must develop its own systems to ensure compliance with the law and to measure how satisfied people are with their services. Uniformity and consistency are key,” he said.
The workshop was attended by Information Communication Technology Minister Tatenda Mavetera, senior officials from the Ministry of Local Government, District Development Coordinators (DGCs), provincial directors, executives from local authorities, and representatives from various Ministries such as Transport, Housing, and Environment.
Garwe said councils should create cost structures for services and operate transparently to foster accountability, adding the MSDS framework was part of a broader government initiative to align local service delivery with the vision to achieve upper middle income status by 2030.
“We are saying measure your performance, engage your community, and make sure no one is left behind. The Ministry will monitor everything through a digital dashboard, and performance awards will be given by the President,” he said.
Launched by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in June last year, the MSDS and State Land Management Policy frameworks are now entering the implementation phase with the workshop marking a turning point in rolling out the systems meant to support the shift.
As part of the digital transformation strategy, the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works received 250 Starlink kits from the Ministry of ICT, which will help local authorities access and upload real-time service delivery data onto the MSDS dashboard.
“These kits will go a long way in ensuring connectivity for our sub-national offices. This is how we track, monitor, and improve services in every district and province,” said Garwe.
Some of the first beneficiaries of the Starlink kits include the Hwange Local Town Board, Tsholotsho and Murewa local authorities, which will now be able to access the dashboard, input service data, and monitor local performance indicators remotely and efficiently.
“The Ministry will collect and process MSDS data through the online system. Each local authority will log in and submit their statistics and performance information. This allows us to visualise what’s working and what needs attention,” Garwe explained.
He said the framework focuses on essential services like water provision, waste management, road maintenance, and housing with the goal of establishing national standards that guarantee residents in every corner of the country to expect the same quality of service.
Garwe called on local authorities to align their work with the national development agenda and stressed that the MSDS dashboard will be a central tool in evaluating how effectively services are delivered.
New Ziana
