Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
PLUMTREE Town Council and Mangwe Rural District Council in Matabeleland South Province have been flagged among four local authorities nationwide that are yet to submit their proposed 2026 budgets to the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works for approval.
The other defaulting authorities are Bikita Rural District Council in Masvingo Province and Rushinga Rural District Council in Mashonaland Central.
Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe revealed the development yesterday while addressing delegates at the 2026–2030 Strategic Plans Validation Workshop held in Bulawayo, which brought together senior officials from all local authorities across Zimbabwe.
“I have been informed that Plumtree Town Council, Bikita Rural District Council, Mangwe Rural District Council and Rushinga Rural District Council are yet to submit their outstanding budgets. I therefore urge them to do so without further delay because the timely submission of budgets is essential for effective service delivery,” said Minister Garwe.
The submission of annual budgets is a statutory requirement under Zimbabwe’s local governance framework and forms the foundation for planning service delivery, mobilising revenue, developing infrastructure and ensuring accountability within councils.
Minister Garwe said communities evaluate the performance of councils not on promises but on visible improvements in essential services such as water supply, road maintenance, refuse collection and housing development.
“Excellence will be recognised, but poor performance will not be tolerated. Persistent failure will attract disincentives across the leadership chain. I want to emphasise the importance of discipline in planning and budgeting. Councils must align their budgets with national development priorities and the devolution agenda,” he said.
In recent years, the Government has intensified oversight of local authorities in response to recurring challenges including poor service delivery, weak financial management and delays in implementing development projects, especially within smaller towns and rural districts.
The 2026–2030 Strategic Plans Validation Workshop was convened to ensure that council strategies align with the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), the country’s devolution objectives and performance based management systems being rolled out across the public sector.
The meeting was attended by mayors, council chairpersons, town clerks, secretaries and chief executive officers from all local authorities nationwide.
