Garwe flags mismanagement in local authorities

Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe has raised serious concerns over mismanagement in Zimbabwe's local authorities, highlighting the widespread issue of key positions being filled only in acting capacities. He has called for an immediate meeting to address the problem.

Garwe made the remarks during a meeting with City of Harare councillors and executives on Monday, who had petitioned the ministry for assistance in appointing substantive executives to key roles.

"The main reason for having personnel in acting positions is poor management," Garwe said.

He noted that some of the acting appointments arise from personal interests and improper procedures, adding that local authorities often fail to follow laid-down recruitment processes.

"We have meetings with the local board regularly and some of the issues they raise are that local authorities do not follow all procedures when conducting interviews and your recommendations are often thrown away," he said.

Garwe expressed concern that some acting officials use their temporary status to push through decisions for personal gain, citing examples of acting committee chairmen facilitating resolutions without proper oversight.

"This is a reflection of how we are managing the affairs of the city ourselves, but we need to sit down ourselves and the ministry and there are some areas we have to be tough on," he added.

The minister directed officials from his ministry to convene with Harare's council management and Mayor Jacob Mafume to find lasting solutions.

"We expect nothing short of world-class service delivery from the City of Harare," Garwe said.

He urged councillors and management to ensure that policies, bylaws, and resolutions align with Zimbabwe's goal of becoming an upper-middle-income society that benefits all citizens, not just the elite.

Highlighting the need for legal reforms, Garwe noted that Harare's bylaws are outdated and ill-equipped to handle modern developments.

"We are in the process of amending the Urban Town Act and are encouraged to start working on new bylaws. Old bylaws do not cover new technologies—such as companies that can build houses overnight—and we do not know how to act or approve such developments," he said.

Last month, Garwe decried the decay in local authorities and poor governance during the handover of the commission of inquiry report into City of Harare affairs since 2017 to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.