Story by Yolanda Moyo
BULAWAYO – THE Fourth Councils Indaba held in Bulawayo this Thursday brought together council executives from across Zimbabwe, united in their commitment to implementing robust strategies aimed at stimulating and improving service delivery nationwide.
Building on the momentum of the 2023 launch of “Call to Action, No Compromise to Service Delivery: First Stage of Interventions to Modernise the Operations of Local Authorities towards Vision 2030,” the Indaba served as a platform to assess progress and map the way forward in service delivery enhancement.
Council executives who spoke to ZBC News highlighted some of the key strategies being implemented to stimulate service delivery, which include the adoption of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to unlock investment, the deployment of digital technologies to improve council responsiveness, and the devolution agenda.
“Our PPP with local companies has significantly improved refuse collection schedules and promoted recycling, resulting in cleaner urban environments,” one executive said.
“We are heavily investing in smart water metering systems and infrastructure upgrades through partnerships to reduce non-revenue water and ensure reliable supply,” another added.
“Our focus also includes improving road access, drilling boreholes, and supporting local agriculture through community-driven projects and strategic collaborations with NGOs,” a council official said.
“Devolution empowers us to respond to community-specific needs without waiting for central government directives,” another remarked.
Council executives also applauded the launch of the two major policies, the Minimum Service Delivery Standards and the Urban State-land Management Policy as critical tools to standardise expectations and improve transparency.
“These policies will bring clarity to what every citizen should expect from their local authority and how we manage our urban land for sustainable development.”
The Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Honourable Daniel Garwe, provided an update on the progress made since the “Call to Action” initiative in 2023.
“We took heed of the proclamation of the Call to Action blueprint. To date, 90 percent of our 92 councils have completed service delivery evaluations, and 100 percent have finalised their master plans,” he stated.
“The Urban State Land Management Policy is being implemented to eliminate land baronism and restore order in urban development. This, together with the Minimum Service Delivery Standards Policy, will help us realise our vision of well-functioning, citizen-focused local authorities,” he added.
As Zimbabwe inches towards Vision 2030, the strategic discussions and policy launches at the 4th Council Indaba, are poised to be foundational pillars in achieving an empowered and prosperous upper-middle-income society with high-quality public services.
