Story by Josephine Mugiyo, Diplomatic Correspondent
PRESIDENT Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged local authorities to place residents at the centre of governance, stressing that quality service delivery must never be treated as an afterthought.
The President made the remarks while officially launching the Citizen Engagement and Scoring Platform, a digital tool that enables residents to assess the performance of local authorities and provide feedback on service delivery.
The platform allows citizens to rate services in key areas such as waste management, water supply, road maintenance and the general upkeep of residential areas.
Launching the initiative, President Mnangagwa said the platform represents a significant step towards strengthening accountability, responsiveness and participatory governance.
“Today, we are not merely launching a digital platform, but deepening our democracy and participatory governance. We are strengthening the accountability and responsiveness of Local Authorities, both in urban and rural areas.
“As a Government of the people, by the people, we are amplifying the powerful principle that Government exists to serve its people,” he said.
The President said the platform builds on ongoing local governance reforms, including the Call to Action-No Compromise to Service Delivery Blueprint and the Minimum Service Delivery Standards framework.
He noted that the initiative will empower citizens to provide real-time feedback and identify service delivery gaps across communities.
“The Citizen Engagement and Scoring Platform, is set to shift governance from ‘being done for the people’ to ‘being shaped with the people.’
“It is within this context that the Citizen Engagement and Scoring Platform guarantees every Zimbabwean the opportunity to provide feedback, identify service gaps, and evaluate performance in real time, from across all communities,” he said.
President Mnangagwa also called on public servants to embrace feedback as a tool for improvement rather than criticism, while urging citizens to use the platform responsibly.
“To our public servants across Government, feedback is not an attack; it is guidance from the very people you are mandated to wholeheartedly serve.
“To our citizens and would-be users, may I reiterate that your voice matters. However, constructive feedback towards strengthening public institutions, encouraging innovation, and exposing inefficiencies should always be the guiding motivation, and not malice,” he said.
The President added that accountability, integrity, efficiency and professionalism must remain central to public service delivery in order to strengthen trust between Government and citizens.
The Citizen Engagement and Scoring Platform complements other accountability measures introduced by Government, including the performance-based contracts launched in 2021 to enhance service delivery across public institutions.
