Garwe threatens city fathers with jail

Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe has issued a tough warning to Zimbabwe's 92 local authorities, declaring that government will no longer tolerate poor service delivery, financial mismanagement and abuse of public funds by councils.

Addressing local authority officials during the Local Authorities 2025 Performance Evaluation Feedback Session in Harare yesterday, Garwe said local authorities would face severe penalties if they fail to meet newly established service delivery standards.

His remarks come amid growing public frustration over deteriorating municipal services, particularly in urban centres where residents continue to grapple with water shortages, sewer bursts, uncollected refuse and crumbling road infrastructure.

In Harare's densely populated suburbs such as Budiriro, Glen View and Mbare, residents have endured years of failing infrastructure, including raw sewage flowing through residential areas, impassable roads riddled with potholes and unreliable water supplies.

Garwe singled out the recent sewer disaster in Budiriro as an example of what he described as gross negligence by local authorities.

"We will no longer tolerate a situation where a resident in one town enjoys clean water, while a resident in a neighbouring district faces a cholera outbreak due to broken-down sewer systems," he said.

"The Budiriro disaster is a case in point and it is very regrettable. That was a case of high negligence of duty by the local authority. It must never be repeated."

The minister said government had moved to address disparities in municipal service delivery through Statutory Instrument 170 of 2025, which introduced Minimum Service Delivery Standards Indicators for Local Authorities.

The regulations establish mandatory performance benchmarks across critical sectors, including water supply, road maintenance, waste management and public lighting.

Under the new standards, urban councils will be required to achieve at least 90 percent water coverage by next year and provide residents with between 50 and 100 litres of clean water per person per day.

Road networks will be expected to meet minimum quality standards, including a Visual Condition Index of at least 55 percent, proper drainage systems and standard road markings.

Local authorities will also be required to maintain consistent refuse collection services and functional street lighting in residential areas.

"These are no longer suggestions, but they are the legal baselines upon which your councils will survive or fail," Garwe said.

The minister blamed many service delivery failures on poor financial management, accusing some councils of prioritising salaries and administrative luxuries over infrastructure maintenance and public services.

"The structural decay in service delivery is directly tied to financial greed and misplaced priorities within your institutions," he said.

"Far too many local authorities are spending the bulk of their collected rates on exorbitant salaries, endless workshops and luxurious administrative perks while water treatment plants collapse, sewer systems fail and roads develop from potholes to drumholes. That must come to an end."

According to internal audits cited by government, some councils are spending as much as 80 percent of their revenue on salaries, benefits and administrative expenses, leaving limited resources available for service delivery.

Garwe warned that under Statutory Instrument 69 of 2026, government would aggressively enforce accountability measures against underperforming local authority officials.

"We will relentlessly, ruthlessly and brutally penalise non-compliant and non-performing officials," he said.

The penalties could include suspension or dismissal of town clerks, chief executive officers, mayors and other senior officials found responsible for service delivery failures.

Garwe also warned councillors accused of misusing public funds that they would face disciplinary action.

"We will also ruthlessly deal with councillors abusing State funds. We are not going to compromise on disciplinary issues on councillors that are abusing State funds," he said.

To address capacity challenges within local authorities, the minister announced plans to accelerate the re-establishment of the Local Government Institute, which will focus on training and skills development for municipal officials.

In a separate warning, Garwe targeted the illegal allocation and sale of State and council land, practices that have contributed to the rapid growth of informal settlements around major urban centres.

He said government would not legitimise settlements established through unlawful land transactions and warned that structures built on illegally acquired land could face demolition.

"We have no appetite to regularise settlements that are born out of criminal activities," Garwe said.

"Informal settlements born out of criminal transactions — the houses being built there will be demolished without an apology to anybody."

The minister's remarks signal a more aggressive approach by government towards local authorities as it seeks to improve municipal service delivery and restore public confidence in local governance.

With new performance standards now legally binding and sanctions looming for non-compliance, councils across the country face mounting pressure to demonstrate measurable improvements in service delivery or risk punitive action from central government.