Government appoints mission to resolve decades-old Hwange boundary dispute

Rutendo Nyeve, Victoria Falls Reporter

THE Government has appointed a high-level mission to conclusively determine the boundaries and jurisdiction of the Hwange Colliery Company’s (HCCL) concession area, in a move that is expected to put an end to a decades-long dispute stifling development in the coal-mining town.

Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Daniel Garwe, has approved the seven-day mission, breathing new life into a protracted conflict that has seen parallel authorities running Hwange, hampering its growth into a fully-fledged urban authority.

For years, the Hwange Local Board (HLB) has grappled with severe administrative hurdles, a direct result of quasi-local structures pulling in different directions.

The town has been fragmented under multiple administrators with a section under the HLB, while HCCL, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), and the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) operate their own company-town systems, performing roles akin to a local authority.

This fractured governance, HLB officials argue, has led to the unfair utilisation of resources, stunted development, and created a financial nightmare for the council. The system, they contend, violates the country’s devolution and local governance principles enshrined in the constitution.

The local board is on record arguing that from an administrative viewpoint, the serious disparities in the administration of the town were caused by the running of Hwange by several entities, which are primarily companies, and this impacted negatively on the development and growth of the town. The core of the crisis lies in political representation and revenue.

Of Hwange’s 15 urban wards, only seven fall under clear HLB jurisdiction. The remaining eight are within the concession areas of HCCL, ZPC, and NRZ. This anomaly means councillors from these company-controlled wards outnumber those from HLB areas in the council chamber.

As a result, the companies feel shortchanged, arguing that decisions are being made on their behalf by people detached from their plight, while HLB is pressured to deliver services without comprehensive boundaries, functions, or revenue from these eight wards.

Councillors from the concession areas sit on the HLB, deliberating on issues affecting areas outside their company-run domains, yet reportedly fail to spearhead development in the wards they nominally represent.

Meanwhile, they benefit allowances from the HLB, whose coffers see no revenue from their areas, as the companies collect and utilise rates internally.

Frustrated by this untenable situation, the HLB submitted a detailed position paper as far back as 2014 to the then Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing. The paper outlined how the parallel systems were crippling the town’s financial stability and blocking its evolution into a unified, modern authority.

Now, a decade later, action appears imminent.
In a letter dated recently, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Dr John Bhasera, confirmed the intervention.

“The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works wishes to advise that the Honourable Minister of Local Government and Public Works has approved a mission to conclude the outstanding matter relating to the boundaries and jurisdiction of the Hwange Colliery Company’s concession area,” Dr Bhasera wrote.

“The mission shall span seven (7) days, inclusive of travel to and from Hwange. The detailed itinerary for the activity is attached herewith for your information and guidance.”

The mission is expected to engage all stakeholders, including HLB, the mining and parastatal companies, residents’ associations, and traditional leaders.

The goal is to draw a definitive map of authority, clarifying who is responsible for service delivery, planning, and revenue collection in every corner of Hwange.

Residents and business operators in the town, long weary of the confusion and underdevelopment, have cautiously welcomed the move.

Many hope it will mark the end of an era of competing interests and usher in a period of cohesive planning, equitable resource distribution, and accelerated growth for Hwange, finally allowing it to function as the unified local authority it was meant to be.

The ministerial mission is tasked with cutting through a long history of dispute, law, and economics that has held back one of Zimbabwe’s most strategic towns for far too long.