Story by Fairstars Mukungurutse
LOCAL authorities have been rallied to upscale service delivery as performance outcomes for the year 2024 indicate failure to meet set targets.
Representatives from the country’s 92 local authorities gathered in Harare this Thursday for a high level meeting on performance outcomes feedback for the year 2024.
The 2024 performance report indicates that all local authorities failed to meet their service delivery targets, particularly water provision, waste management and infrastructure development.
Both rural and urban councils, however, pledged commitment to improving their operations.
“The government has capacitated our operations as local authorities in terms of service vehicles and Chiredzi Town Council we have managed to acquire machinery like tipper trucks and other service delivery vehicles so there is room for improvement,” said Chiredzi Town Council Councillor, Jameson Charumbira.
“We commit ourselves to enhancing service delivery in line with the second republic’s thrust of spurring development in our country,” noted Zaka Rural District Council chairperson, Mrs Fungai Maregedze.
Bulawayo Mayor Councillor David Coltart weighed in, “So Bulawayo, we are working very hard to deliver, for example we are very close to delivering for our citizens the construction of the new glass block dam which will add 65 mega-litres of water per day, we are working very closely to upgrade our sewerage works, we are working to construct markets to finally complete Egodini. We are also seeking to improve connectivity between the city and other cities, lobbying airlines to get greater airline connections, we are delighted that Fastjet for example has just increased connectivity and we’ve got increased flights to Johannesburg and so we see the city increasingly becoming a regional hub.”
Government has called for a multi-stakeholder approach, saying poor service delivery is not acceptable.
“As we journey towards Vision 2030, local authorities cannot deliver quality services alone. Strategic partnerships with the private sector, communities and development institutions are essential to bridge resource gaps and leverage expertise. Whether in water provision, waste management or infrastructure development, collaborative models multiply our impact while ensuring sustainability. I challenge every council to establish at least one transformative partnership in 2025, because when we combine public oversight with private innovation, we accelerate progress for all our citizens,” said the
Minister of the National Housing and Social Amenities.
Government is tracking progress on public sector performance in an effort to enhance efficiency and accountability.
