Government approves 90 out of 92 local authority budgets

THE Ministry of Local Government and Public Works has approved 90 out of 92 budgets submitted by local authorities for the 2026 financial year, with only two councils yet to meet the required standards.

In a notice on the outcome of the budget assessment process, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Daniel Garwe, said the review was conducted thoroughly to ensure compliance with the law and to safeguard service delivery across the country.

“Of the 92 local authorities in Zimbabwe, 90 have had their 2026 budgets approved, some with conditions to strengthen areas that required improvement,” said Minister Garwe.

He said Rushinga Rural District Council is yet to submit its budget, while Bikita Rural District Council’s budget was rejected on the basis that it was uneconomic and would have adversely affected service delivery.

Minister Garwe said the ministry, working through District Development Co-ordinators, will provide technical support to the affected councils, to address the identified gaps and ensure that compliant and implementable budgets are submitted.

He said the 2026 budget review process was conducted at provincial level by multi-disciplinary teams comprising officials from various Government departments and experts from institutions of higher learning.

“This approach ensured that all budgets are aligned with the Constitution and relevant legislation, notably the Rural District Councils Act and the Urban Councils Act,” said the minister.

“Our mandate is to ensure that local authorities operate within the confines of the law while delivering quality services to residents.”

He added that the approval framework incorporated measures to ensure the gradual implementation of Minimum Service Delivery Standards (MSDS) by all councils.

“We are now moving towards standardising service delivery across the country. The rollout of Minimum Service Delivery Standards is critical in improving water provision, waste management, road maintenance and other essential services.

“The ministry will conduct outreach programmes to support councils in implementing these standards,” said Minister Garwe.

He also noted that most of the approved budgets reflected progress in implementing Cabinet Guidelines on licences, fees and permits.

“This has resulted in improved stakeholder co-operation and increased economic activity in many jurisdictions. These measures will enhance the ease of doing business, improve revenue collection and ultimately strengthen service delivery,” he said.

However, the minister acknowledged that revenue collection remains a challenge for many local authorities.

“While billing has improved compared to previous years, collections are still lagging. Budget execution continues to be constrained by low disbursement of devolution funds and weak local revenue inflows.

“We will continue engaging Treasury to ensure timely disbursement of funds, and we urge residents and businesses to honour their obligations to enable councils to deliver quality services,” Minister Garwe said.

Going forward, the ministry’s Inspectorate Department will intensify monitoring and oversight to ensure the effective and efficient use of resources by local authorities.

Last week, during a trade effluent and wastewater recycling workshop at a city hotel, Bulawayo City Council revealed that it needs nearly US$500 million to effectively deal with its ageing and frequently breaking water reticulation system from its 10 wastewater treatment plants, of which the oldest, Waterford, was constructed way back in 1951 while the Cowdray Park plant is the newest, constructed in 2000.

Bulawayo council principal engineer, sanitation, Dumani Gwetu, told delegates at the workshop that of the total amount needed for effective management of the sewer reticulation system, US$193 million would go towards the wastewater treatment works, US$75 million will be for outfall sewers with US$880 000 going to sewer pump stations refurbishments.

Eng Gwetu said sewer reticulation replacement will cost US$32 million while recycled water supply infrastructure needs US$105 million.