Garwe warns councils of suspensions, travel bans over poor service delivery
Garwe warns councils of suspensions, travel bans over poor service delivery
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Local authorities that fail to meet Zimbabwe’s minimum service delivery standards face penalties including suspension of senior officials, travel bans and possible downgrading of council status, Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe has said.
Garwe made the remarks in Harare on Wednesday during the 2025 Local Authorities’ Performance Evaluation Feedback Session, where Government reviewed council performance against set indicators.
He said poor service delivery, financial mismanagement and misplaced spending priorities would no longer be tolerated, adding that councils must align their work with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s directive of “Call to Action-No Compromise to Service Delivery”.
“Service delivery is the only metric that matters,” Garwe said.
Referring to Statutory Instrument 69 of 2026, the minister said: “the Ministry will relentlessly, ruthlessly and brutally penalise non-compliant and non-performing officials.”
He said independent assessments by Best Practices (Pvt) Ltd showed some councils improving, while many remained behind due to weak resource management and what he termed administrative complacency.
“The independent evaluations tabled today reflect a clear mirror of your performances during the 2025 cycle. While a few councils are showing a positive trajectory, many are still lagging, trapped in cycles of poor resource management and administrative complacency,” Garwe said.
According to the performance rankings presented, Mutare Town Council and Kwekwe Town Council were among the top-performing urban councils, while Zvimba and Chivi were highlighted as top-performing rural district councils. Mutasa and Chimanimani were ranked last in the rural district council category, while Gokwe and Rusape were ranked last among urban councils.
Garwe said Vision 2030 required councils to provide uniform, quality public services regardless of location. He cited Statutory Instrument 170 of 2025, which establishes Minimum Service Delivery Standards Indicators for local authorities.
Under the standards, councils are expected to reach 90 percent piped water coverage in urban areas by next year and ensure residents receive between 50 and 100 litres of clean water per person daily. Road infrastructure must reach a minimum Visual Condition Index of 55 percent, while councils are also expected to provide regular refuse collection and functional public lighting across developed residential areas.
Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Martin Rushwaya said local authorities were central to achieving Vision 2030 because they deliver essential services and are the closest tier of government to communities.
“Without strong and efficient local authorities, national development goals will be difficult to realise,” Rushwaya said, adding that councils must prioritise clean water, waste management, road networks, public health services and orderly settlements.
He acknowledged persistent obstacles, including inadequate funding, deteriorating infrastructure, corruption and poor resource management, which he said undermined service delivery and eroded public confidence.
Garwe also said Government was continuing demolitions of illegal settlements. He told the meeting that only two settlements in Harare were approved by Government: Caledonia and Harare South. He referred to the operation as “Operation dzokera kwawakabva”.
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