Sharon Chigeza
MUTARE-Mutare town clerk Blessing Chafesuka has been crowned Zimbabwe’s top performing town clerk, winning the prestigious 2025 President’s Award for Performance Excellence in Service Delivery at a ceremony held in Harare recently.
Chafesuka emerged as the overall winner among local authority chief executives from across the country, with the annual awards recognising exceptional performance in public service delivery.
The awards, run by Government, celebrate excellence in local governance and aim to encourage innovation, efficiency, and improved service delivery in municipalities across Zimbabwe.
Kwekwe city town clerk Lucia Mkandla was named first runner-up in this year’s competition, while acting Chiredzi town secretary Consider Kubiku secured second runner-up position.
Mkandla’s recognition comes after she won the top accolade in 2024, demonstrating sustained excellence in her leadership of Kwekwe city council. The 2023 award was won by Masvingo city town clerk Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa.
Chafesuka’s victory highlights the strides made by Mutare city council under his leadership, with the eastern border city having implemented various service delivery improvements in recent years.
His recognition at national level positions Mutare as a benchmark for other local authorities striving to enhance public service delivery.
The President’s Award for Performance Excellence has become a key benchmark for evaluating local authority performance, encouraging healthy competition among municipalities and promoting accountability in the delivery of essential services to citizens.
Winners were selected based on comprehensive evaluations of service delivery metrics, community satisfaction levels, innovation in governance, and overall administrative efficiency.
Chafesuka said the award he received is for every council employee, ratepayers and all stakeholders.
“I am delighted to have been honoured for doing my work diligently. At the end of the day, this is an award for every council employee, all the ratepayers and all our stakeholders who ensure council business runs smoothly. It is a recognition of the tremendous efforts that everyone has put into making Mutare City Council run efficiently,” said Chafesuka.
For Chafesuka and the Mutare City Council, the accolade represents not just personal achievement but recognition of the collective efforts of council staff in improving the lives of residents. The award also raises expectations for continued innovation and service excellence as the city continues to develop and expand its service offering.
