By Tinashe Mukori<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BULAWAYO, 26 June 2025 – In an emphatic and visionary address that fused political will with developmental clarity, His Excellency President Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa today officially opened the 2025 All-Councillors\u2019 Indaba in Bulawayo, calling on Zimbabwe\u2019s 92 local authorities to reorient themselves towards results-driven service delivery in pursuit of Vision 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Addressing over 2,500 councillors, mayors, council chairpersons, and town clerks from across the nation, Cde Mnangagwa emphasized that local authorities must constitute the bedrock of national development, urging them to become catalysts for economic transformation and social upliftment in line with the country\u2019s developmental philosophy: \u201cNyika inovakwa, inotongwa, inonamatigwa nevene vayo. Ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe, likhulekelwe ngabanikazi balo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe theme of this year\u2019s Indaba – Benchmarking Service Delivery Towards Attainment of Vision 2030 – is not merely aspirational; it is a clarion call to action,\u201d said the President. \u201cThis platform must empower you to make evidence-based, fact-driven decisions that place the citizen at the centre of development.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Performance, accountability, and innovation<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Mnangagwa lamented the persistent dereliction of duty and underperformance in several councils, despite the 2023 launch of the Local Authorities\u2019 Service Delivery Blueprint: Call to Action \u2013 No Compromise to Service Delivery. He called for immediate adherence to the Minimum Service Delivery Standards, a performance tracking tool developed by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, which will now inform service delivery awards from the 2025 fiscal year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese standards span eight critical sectors – from housing and public health to water, sanitation, and environmental stewardship. Councils must not wait for collapse before acting. Proactive governance is non-negotiable,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The President further implored councillors to institutionalize a culture of fiscal discipline, strategic budgeting, and robust financial modelling. He urged local governments to creatively mobilise domestic resources without imposing unsustainable burdens on ratepayers, noting that, \u201cMoney does not create ideas. Money funds ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stimulating economic growth from the ground up<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With economic recovery and inclusive development central to the 2025 National Budget, President Mnangagwa urged councils to align their plans with national priorities – especially in water, sanitation, infrastructure, agriculture, and education – while simultaneously unlocking the potential of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to drive local-level investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Highlighting the traditional Nhimbe Initiative, he rallied councils to embrace this communal ethos to tackle infrastructure rehabilitation, particularly roads, leveraging pooled local resources for collective progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Institutional reforms and environmental integrity<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reaffirming his administration\u2019s zero-tolerance stance on institutional lethargy, the President announced the launch of a new Urban State Land Management Policy. He warned that local authorities that consistently neglect their statutory obligations – including timely financial audits – will be tracked and held to account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Environmental governance was another focal point, with the Head of State warning against the escalation of environmental crimes such as sand poaching and indiscriminate waste dumping. He called for the dual application of incentives and penalties to foster ecological stewardship at the local level, aligned with the national sustainability agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Strengthening legal and administrative capacity<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cde Mnangagwa also instructed the Ministry of Local Government to review and update the legislative framework underpinning local governance, ensuring councils are legally equipped to fulfil their mandates. He advocated for the harmonisation of council by-laws with national development strategies to eliminate legal discord and boost institutional efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He concluded his address by reaffirming Government\u2019s commitment to supporting the welfare of council employees, especially those in lower grades, as part of building resilient, service-oriented institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Call to unity, productivity and delivery<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Declaring the 2025 Indaba officially open, President Mnangagwa called for a renewed spirit of unity, production, and delivery across all local government jurisdictions. \u201cThere is no \u2018us\u2019 and \u2018them.\u2019 We are one united people with a shared mandate to build the Zimbabwe we want. Ward by ward, brick upon brick, stone upon stone – let us deliver.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the Minimum Service Delivery Standards and the Urban State Land Management Policy now officially launched, the Indaba sets the stage for transformative engagement and action – a defining moment in Zimbabwe\u2019s drive towards Vision 2030.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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