By Staff Reporter
Harare, Zimbabwe – The government of Zimbabwe has taken a step towards enhancing efficiency in local authorities by approving the Minimum Service Delivery Standards for Local Authorities Framework despite lack of funding bedeviling the councils.
A post-cabinet brief says the framework aims to define the minimum levels of services that local authorities should provide to citizens.
“The nation will recall that in 2023 His Excellency the President, Cde. Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa officially launched the Blueprint on ‘A call to Action. No compromise to Service Delivery: First stage of interventions to modernise the Operations of Local Authorities towards Vision 2030’,” reads the brief.
The framework focuses on eight key areas, including Water Supply, Sanitation, Solid Waste Management, Roads and Public Lighting, Corporate Governance, Public Health, Environmental Issues, Housing and Community Services.
Each area has performance indicators, the brief reads, benchmarks, and performance standards.
“The objectives for developing minimum service delivery standards were to define the minimum levels of services that Local Authorities should provide, and the nature of service recipients should expect in terms of quantity, quality, time and cost,” the brief states.
Government says it will track, monitor, and evaluate progress through a real-time dashboard system, where local authorities will submit data online.
The performance of local authorities will be based on assessments set in the Minimum Service Delivery Standards Framework.
Zimbabwean local authorities are facing significant financial challenges, marked by rampant corruption, inefficiency, and incompetence, a report by the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) says.
The Auditor-General’s reports reveal that most local authorities have modified audit opinions due to non-compliance with international public sector accounting standards and international financial reporting standards.
Some of the challenges include poor financial management where local authorities fail to follow key policies, laws, and regulations, resulting in weak internal controls and financial reporting systems.
They also face governance issues where audit findings indicate a lack of accountability, transparency, and oversight.
Councils also have inadequate controls over revenue collection, which is one of the key areas, with an average collection capacity of just over 50%, leading to potential loss of revenue.
Adding to the challenges however, central government is also syphoning funds from taxes that could be collected by councils to boost their revenues and local development.
Zimbabwe’s government controls several revenue streams that could otherwise be collected by local authorities, like road licenses.
The Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) collects revenue from road licenses, which could be a potential source of income for local authorities.
The central government also collects royalties from mining activities, which deprive local authorities of potential revenue, limiting councils’ ability to fund development projects and deliver essential services.
Additionally, the central government exercises control over local authorities through various mechanisms such as approval of budgets and tariffs which have a significant impact of service delivery trajectory.
The central government also controls borrowing, where local authorities need ministerial approval to borrow funds, limiting their ability to raise capital for local development projects.
