By David Adin and Tabeth John
TWO weeks ago President Emmerson Mnangagwa warned local authorities that they must serve as strong foundations for building the nation and driving growth across all economic sectors.
“You cannot afford to be a poor foundation. 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,” he said, warning lo-cal authorities failing to meet service delivery mandates, that action would be taken against those who continue to neglect their duties.
President Mnangagwa made the call to local authorities while officiating the 4th Edition of All Councillors Indaba held at Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre in Bulawayo.
Last week, Mvurwi town responded to the President’s call by unveiling four ma-jor projects, which include the construction of modern sewer treatment ponds, a refuse compactor truck, a fire tender, and the ground-breaking for the ser-vicing of Mbizi medium-density stands.
The projects are part of efforts to ad-dress the town’s infrastructure needs and provide essential services to its resi-dents. The new sewer treatment ponds have a processing capacity of 16,000 litres per hour and serve up to 23,000 households.
“This project is expected to improve public health, reduce environmental risks, and support industrial expansion. For years, Mvurwi’s sanitation system had been strained, with the old, unlined ponds designed in the 1960s proving inad-equate for the town’s growing population. However, with the new modern sewer infrastructure, the town is set to experience significant improvements in public health and environmental sustainability,” said Dr. Sheri Nyakudya, Mvurwi Town Secretary.
Funded under the Devolution agenda, the projects demonstrate the Govern-ment’s commitment to empowering local authorities and communities to de-velop in ways that are responsive and effective.
The commissioning of a 5,000-litre fire tender is a significant boost to Mvurwi’s emergency response capabilities. The fire tender was acquired through a partnership between the Government and the Mudzimi We Moto Trust.
“With this equipment, Mvurwi is no longer vulnerable to fire outbreaks, and plans are already in motion to train and deploy professional firefighters to pro-tect life, property, and investments in the town, “The new fire tender will enable the council to respond promptly to fire emer-gencies, protecting life, property, and investments in the town,” Dr Nyakudya explained.
“The 20-cubic-metre refuse compactor truck was acquired through a trans-parent procurement process under the Zimbabwe Electronic Government Procurement System. “This truck will dramatically improve waste collection efficiency, enhancing en-vironmental hygiene and public health. The council has phased out the tractor system, and residents have praised the move, saying it will improve the town’s cleanliness,” added Dr Nyakudya.
The ground-breaking for the servicing of 600 residential stands in Mbizi medi-um-density area is a positive development for the town. The project addresses the housing backlog and expands opportunities for employment and entre-preneurship.
The project is being funded locally and in partnership with the private sector, reflecting a new model of development that is people-driven, locally financed, and forward-looking. During the 4th Edition of All Councillors Indaba held at Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre in Bulawayo the President warned local authorities failing to meet service delivery mandates, threatening to take action to those who con-tinue to neglect their duties.
“Since I launched this programme in November 2023, it is disheartening that we still receive reports of the alarming levels of dereliction of duty, acts of omis-sion and commission, by a number of local authorities. This situation is untena-ble. “
The performance assessment tool, Minimum Service Delivery Standards, crafted by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, should stimulate improvement in service delivery and help track progress in the delivery of quali-ty services.”
He added that the Minister of Local Government (Daniel Garwe) would track local authorities which habitually fail to conduct audits of their financial state-ments as provided by the law, saying: “I am thinking of ways to deal with them. There are two possibilities, either they pull up their stockings or we axe them.”
President Mnangagwa urged local authorities to continuously monitor performance and implement timely interventions, warning that allowing systems to collapse due to inaction would be unacceptable.
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 four major projects were commissioned at a ceremony officiated by the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Christopher Magomo. The projects mark a new era in Mvurwi’s urban transformation and demonstrate commitment to improving the lives of its citizens.
“The projects we are commissioning today are a testament to the Govern-ment’s commitment to improving the lives of our citizens. We urge residents to take ownership of these projects and ensure their sustainability,” Minister Ma-gomo said, adding: “These projects are not the end, they are just the begin-ning. We will continue to work with residents and stakeholders to ensure the sus-tainability of these projects and to drive development in Mvurwi Town.”
Acting provincial director for co-ordination, Addmore Shereni, urged the council to be fair and offer affordable stands to its citizens. Dr. Sheri Nyakudya also thanked the Government for the Devolution Fund, which has brought rapid growth to the town.
She also appreciated the Ministry of Public Works and Local Governance for the issuance of the fire tender, saying it would enable the council to fight any nature of fire.
Residents of Mvurwi praised the Government and the council for the projects, saying they will improve their lives. They appreciated the council’s efforts to work with residents and provide essential services.
New Ziana
