News / National
Zimbabwe govt sets minimum standards for councils
18 hrs ago | Views
Zimbabwe's local authorities are now legally bound to provide residents with essential services that meet newly approved national minimum standards. This development follows Cabinet's adoption of the Minimum Service Delivery Standards Framework, a policy move designed to enhance accountability and improve the quality of services offered by local councils.
The framework was approved during a Cabinet session chaired by President Emmerson Mnangagwa and is part of the government's ongoing efforts to modernise local governance in line with the country's Vision 2030 agenda. The standards will apply to a range of critical services including water supply, sanitation, solid waste management, road maintenance, public lighting, public health, housing, environmental management, and corporate governance.
Speaking at a post-Cabinet media briefing in Harare, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Jenfan Muswere said the benchmarks were developed as a direct response to the widespread concerns over poor service delivery, especially in urban areas.
Muswere recalled that in 2023, President Mnangagwa launched a blueprint titled "A Call to Action: No Compromise to Service Delivery," which mandated all local authorities to draw up roadmaps for improving their operations. The newly adopted standards now serve as a guide for the implementation of those roadmaps, setting measurable expectations for councils to meet.
The minister explained that the framework not only defines the levels of service local authorities are expected to deliver, but also outlines the quantity, quality, timing, and cost of those services. It provides a national benchmark for uniformity and consistency across all councils and introduces a real-time dashboard system that will be used to track, monitor, and evaluate progress.
Muswere further stated that the performance of every urban and rural local authority will now be judged against the new framework. He said the government aims to ensure that residents receive value for money and that they have a basis to hold councils accountable for substandard service delivery.
He encouraged residents to demand services that match what they are being billed for and advised that they should not pay for services that are not rendered. This, he said, is one way of compelling councils to meet their obligations under the new standards.
The policy marks a significant shift in how public services are managed in Zimbabwe's local government system. With a real-time evaluation mechanism and clearer guidelines on what services should be delivered, the government hopes to close the gap between ratepayer expectations and municipal performance.
The framework was approved during a Cabinet session chaired by President Emmerson Mnangagwa and is part of the government's ongoing efforts to modernise local governance in line with the country's Vision 2030 agenda. The standards will apply to a range of critical services including water supply, sanitation, solid waste management, road maintenance, public lighting, public health, housing, environmental management, and corporate governance.
Speaking at a post-Cabinet media briefing in Harare, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Jenfan Muswere said the benchmarks were developed as a direct response to the widespread concerns over poor service delivery, especially in urban areas.
Muswere recalled that in 2023, President Mnangagwa launched a blueprint titled "A Call to Action: No Compromise to Service Delivery," which mandated all local authorities to draw up roadmaps for improving their operations. The newly adopted standards now serve as a guide for the implementation of those roadmaps, setting measurable expectations for councils to meet.
Muswere further stated that the performance of every urban and rural local authority will now be judged against the new framework. He said the government aims to ensure that residents receive value for money and that they have a basis to hold councils accountable for substandard service delivery.
He encouraged residents to demand services that match what they are being billed for and advised that they should not pay for services that are not rendered. This, he said, is one way of compelling councils to meet their obligations under the new standards.
The policy marks a significant shift in how public services are managed in Zimbabwe's local government system. With a real-time evaluation mechanism and clearer guidelines on what services should be delivered, the government hopes to close the gap between ratepayer expectations and municipal performance.
Source - online
