Garwe halts councils workshop spree

The government has tightened oversight of local authorities by directing that all donor-funded workshops, training programmes, conferences, benchmarking visits and related activities involving councils must receive prior approval from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.

The directive, issued by Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe in a circular dated May 27, extends beyond council-funded activities to include programmes organised or financed by development partners, private institutions and other government agencies.

The move places all council-related training and travel under closer ministerial scrutiny as government seeks to ensure that such activities contribute directly to service delivery.

According to Garwe, the ministry has become increasingly concerned about the growing number of workshops, seminars, conferences, foreign trips and benchmarking visits involving local authorities.

"The ministry has noted with concern the increasing number of workshops, foreign travel, look-and-learn visits, conferences and related activities being undertaken by Local Authorities at the expense of service delivery priorities," Garwe said.

The minister said the directive applies equally to programmes initiated or coordinated by external organisations.

"This directive equally applies to activities initiated or coordinated by other government ministries, departments and agencies, development partners, associations, private entities or any other institutions," he said.

"All requests and invitations relating to such activities shall therefore be submitted to the ministry for consideration before any commitments to participate or attend are made."

Development partners have traditionally played a significant role in supporting Zimbabwean local authorities through training and technical assistance in areas such as water and sanitation, urban planning, governance, climate resilience and infrastructure development.

Under the new directive, however, government says approval will only be granted to programmes that demonstrate measurable benefits to service delivery.

"Consideration for approval of such activities shall strictly be based on their contribution towards the attainment of the minimum service delivery standards and improvement of service delivery in local authorities," Garwe said.

"Priority shall only be accorded to activities with clear and measurable benefits to core service delivery mandates."

The directive is expected to generate debate over its potential impact on council operations.

Supporters may view the measure as a way to improve accountability and ensure public resources and donor support are directed towards tangible service delivery outcomes.

However, critics are likely to argue that requiring ministerial approval for externally funded programmes could increase bureaucracy and potentially delay training, capacity-building initiatives and technical support provided by development partners.

Garwe warned that councils and officials who fail to comply with the directive would face disciplinary action.

"The ministry wishes to advise that non-compliance with this directive will not be tolerated," he said.

"Appropriate administrative action shall be taken against any local authority or official found to be acting in contravention of this circular."