Garwe orders council probe

Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Daniel Garwe, has lambasted local authorities for poor service delivery, which has contributed to low revenue collection and growing salary arrears for workers. His remarks came during a recent parliamentary session, where the issue of delayed salaries and mounting debts in local councils, particularly Chiredzi Town Council, was brought to the forefront.

The issue was raised by Member of Parliament for Chiredzi Central, Ropafadzo Makumire, who questioned Garwe about the government's efforts to address the overdue salaries of Chiredzi Town Council employees. Makumire expressed concern about the council's struggles with revenue collection and its ongoing financial difficulties, pointing to the growing debt owed by residents.

"Chiredzi Town Council is facing challenges in collecting revenue from residents. The accumulated debt has made it difficult for the council to pay its workers, and this has gone on for several months," Makumire said, adding that significant sums of money had been spent on international trips to countries like Russia and Korea. These trips, Makumire pointed out, cost the council around US$50,000 each, further exacerbating the financial strain.

Garwe, in his response, criticized the mismanagement of resources at the local authority level, stressing that the responsibility of paying employees' salaries rested entirely with the local councils, not the government. He also acknowledged that while the Ministry of Local Government does not directly intervene in the operations of local authorities, the ministry would take necessary action once it was made aware of any challenges.

As of June 17, 2025, Chiredzi Town Council's salary arrears had reached a staggering ZWL 8.1 million. In addition, the council was owed ZWL 163,586,424 by residents and stakeholders for property taxes and service charges. Residents alone were responsible for ZWL 92 million, or about 56% of the outstanding amount.

Garwe confirmed that an investigation team would be sent to Chiredzi Town Council to ascertain whether the council was struggling to collect payments or if residents were refusing to pay. "We will ensure a solution that benefits both the council, its employees, and the residents," he said.

The Minister highlighted the importance of delivering adequate services to residents to ensure they remain willing to fulfill their financial obligations. "The challenge lies in the fact that many of our local authorities are not delivering services but still expect residents to pay. If local authorities want residents to pay their bills, they must ensure that services are being provided effectively," Garwe said.

He also reiterated that the government, through the recent policy announcement by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, expects all local authorities to adhere to minimum service delivery standards. "We want to ensure that all local authorities, not just Chiredzi, meet these standards so that we can provide quality services and encourage residents to pay their dues," Garwe added.

The Minister's comments underscore the growing concern over the financial health of local councils and the need for effective management to ensure that both service delivery and revenue collection are improved. With mounting salary arrears and insufficient revenue, many local authorities are now facing a critical test of their ability to balance financial sustainability with the expectations of their residents.