One of the interventions is that in the future, the ministry will not approve budgets of local authorities that have not met what is outlined in the blueprint,” he said.He added that councils which misallocate resources to travel and allowances would also be addressed. “We are also not approving unnecessary workshops for council officials to ensure that they focus their resources on service delivery,” said Minister Garwe.In light of persistent failures in Harare and other centres, the minister indicated that the Government would not hesitate to escalate matters when necessary. “In serious cases like what you saw in Harare, we have recommended that commissions of inquiry be set up to investigate some of the problems,” he said.
“These are just a few among various interventions we are taking to ensure improved service delivery.”Minister Garwe emphasized that the ministry’s approach is corrective rather than punitive, with Government officials actively engaging with struggling councils. “As the parent ministry, we are not just vindictive. Our teams are working with those local authorities that are failing, addressing their concerns and providing assistance,” he said.He stated that the Government encourages councils to explore partnerships with private entities where capacity gaps exist.
“For example, we are encouraging local authorities to privatise services they believe they cannot effectively provide,” he said. “Our aim is to ensure that local authorities play a leading role in modernizing service delivery in line with Vision 2030.”The Call-to-Action initiative, launched by President Mnangagwa, seeks to transform service delivery across all urban and rural authorities through strict timelines, performance tracking, and regular review meetings chaired at the highest level.Processes leading to the approval of local authority master plans countrywide are at an advanced stage, with at least 70 out of 90 master plans already submitted to the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works and awaiting final clearance from the Attorney-General’s Office. Local authorities that repeatedly fail to meet service delivery targets risk censure from the central Government.
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This was stated by Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe in an interview with The Herald regarding the progress of the Government’s Call to Action on service delivery, launched by President Mnangagwa in November 2023. The President has directed all local authorities to develop master plans as the Second Republic moves to curb the development of chaotic and haphazard settlements. The directive is contained in the blueprint for local authorities dubbed “Call to Action — No compromise to service delivery,” which specifies that planning issues are a must for all councils.
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