Councils urged to lead in solving socio-economic challenges

Leonard Ncube

Victoria Falls Reporter

LOCAL authorities should take a proactive role in addressing socio-economic challenges and drive efforts towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister, Edgar Moyo, has said.

Speaking at the Southern Africa SDGs localisation and voluntary local reviews capacity-building workshop in Victoria Falls, Minister Moyo emphasised Zimbabwe’s strong commitment to aligning its policies with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

He noted that these global frameworks are central to the country’s National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).

“Local governments are at the forefront of addressing the challenges the SDGs seek to resolve, such as poverty, gender inequality, climate resilience, quality education, and much more,” said Minister Moyo.

He also stressed the importance of collaborative efforts to accelerate SDG implementation.

“It is imperative that we work together to develop strategies that accelerate SDG implementation and ensure that policies, investments, and actions reflect the needs of our communities.”

The workshop, facilitated by the government of Italy, brought together stakeholders from Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, as well as key partners from the United Nations.

Minister Moyo described the workshop as an important milestone in Zimbabwe’s journey towards SDGs implementation, highlighting its importance as a platform for strengthening collective efforts to localise the SDGs.

Minister Moyo noted that Zimbabwe has worked to capacitate all 92 local authorities on the voluntary local review process, with 84 expected to produce their first voluntary local reviews by the end of February.

“This is a significant step in our localising efforts and demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that all local governments are engaged and prepared to contribute to SDG implementation,” he said.

Ms Carol Pollack from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) stressed the importance of monitoring progress and integrating SDGs into national and sub-national plans and policies.

She spoke about the need for continuous innovation and collaboration between national and local governments.

The workshop aims to enhance the capacity of local and national governments to prepare comprehensive and action-oriented voluntary local reviews, ensuring that SDGs are translated into tangible outcomes at the local level. It ends today.