Online Reporter
While Zimbabwe might have exited its peak rainy season (January to February), flooding has once again exposed the growing strain on urban infrastructure, particularly in rapidly expanding suburbs on the outskirts of major cities. Downpours frequently leave roads submerged, homes waterlogged and traffic disrupted, highlighting the absence or inadequacy of storm water drainage in some areas. In several newly developed settlements, basic services such as roads, sewer systems and proper drainage are unavailable. There are also homes that have been built on wetlands. Urban planners believe all this reflects rapid urbanisation, illegal land sales and weak enforcement of planning regulations. The challenge is also being compounded by climate change, which scientists say is bringing more intense rainfall events. As municipalities struggle with ageing infrastructure in older suburbs and servicing gaps in new ones, questions are growing over how urban development is being regulated and financed. Zimpapers reporter NOKUTHULA DUBE spoke to Local Government and Public Works Minister DANIEL GARWE about the Government’s response.
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Q: Many urban areas continue to experience severe flooding during the rainy season. What steps is the Government taking to upgrade storm water drainage systems and enforce planning regulations to prevent illegal developments on wetlands and in flood-prone zones?
A: Before the onset of the rainfall season, local authorities are directed to conduct routine drain clearance to reduce urban flooding and flash flooding. This is done through unclogging of blocked drainage systems. Harare, for example, has and continues to experience severe flash flooding each time heavy storms are experienced. This situation affects the general ambience of the capital city, business operations, flow of traffic and movement of people. Enforcement of planning regulations is done through the departments of spatial planning and development, public works, as well as urban local authorities.
Q: A number of newly developed residential suburbs lack basic services such as roads, water, sewer systems and proper drainage. How is the ministry ensuring that developers meet servicing requirements before allocating stands and what mechanisms exist to hold non-compliant developers accountable?
A: The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works acknowledges the serious concerns raised by the recent flooding incidents in urban areas, which have exposed deficiencies in basic infrastructure within some newly developed residential suburbs. It should be understood that some of these affected suburbs are a result of land barons who have illegally settled people on land that is unsuitable for housing and have fleeced unsuspecting home-seekers of hard-earned monies without providing services.
There are also cases of land developers who have failed to meet servicing conditions stipulated by Government and local authorities. Be that as it may, the ministry’s policy position is clear: No residential stands should be allocated or occupied before full servicing is completed in accordance with approved development permits. All land development proposals are subjected to statutory scrutiny under the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act (Chapter 29:12).
Developers are required to submit detailed layout plans, engineering designs and environmental compliance certificates, demonstrating provision for roads, potable water, sewerage systems, storm water drainage and other essential services prior to approval. To ensure compliance, the ministry works closely with local authorities, which are mandated to inspect and certify servicing works before any stands are released for sale or occupation.
Development permits are issued with explicit conditions, including phased servicing schedules, and local authorities are instructed not to issue occupation/compliance certificates or connect services where these conditions have not been met. With regard to accountability, the legal framework provides several enforcement mechanisms, including the suspension or cancellation of development permits, issuance of enforcement and prohibition orders, and prosecution of offending developers and land barons. Where necessary, local authorities may undertake remedial works and recover costs from developers.
The ministry, in line with dictates of the new Urban Stateland Management Policy, is also strengthening monitoring systems, including the use of digital and securitised development permits and registers, as well as periodic audits, to curb illegal land sales and premature stand allocations.
Furthermore, in line with Government’s National Human Settlement Policy, as well as the urban resilience and climate adaptation agenda, the ministry is reinforcing standards for stormwater management and drainage design, particularly in flood-prone areas. The ministry is preparing guidelines for the preparation of drainage master plans for all urban settlements, with implementation of the plans expected to effectively address the issue of flooding. We remain committed to restoring order, protecting residents and ensuring that urban development is safe, serviced and sustainable.
Q: Flood mitigation and infrastructure development require strong coordination between Central Government, local authorities and private developers. What is being done to improve coordination and clarify responsibilities, especially in financially strained municipalities?
A: The issue of flooding of settlements is indeed a risk, hence the need to be risk-averse in terms of siting of settlements. Coordination is critical among stakeholders such as Central Government, local authorities, EMA (Environmental Management Agency) and private developers to ensure that development does not take place on undesignated land.
Q: Given the rising cost of rehabilitating aged urban infrastructure, what financing models — public-private partnerships, infrastructure bonds or inter-Governmental transfers — is the ministry considering to sustainably fund drainage upgrades, road rehabilitation and sewer expansion?
A: The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works recognises that the rehabilitation of aged urban infrastructure, particularly drainage systems, roads and sewer networks, requires substantial and sustainable financing beyond traditional budgetary allocations. In this regard, Government is actively pursuing a blended financing approach that combines public funding with private sector participation and innovative financing instruments.
Firstly, public-private partnerships are being prioritised as a key model to leverage private capital, technical expertise and efficiency, especially for large-scale urban infrastructure projects. Under this framework, local authorities are being guided to structure bankable projects for drainage upgrades, road rehabilitation and sewer expansion, with clear risk-sharing arrangements and revenue mechanisms such as service fees.
Secondly, the ministry is exploring the use of infrastructure bonds, including municipal and pooled bonds, to mobilise long-term capital for urban infrastructure renewal. Working with other arms of Government, efforts are underway to strengthen the creditworthiness of local authorities through improved financial management, ring-fencing of infrastructure revenues and enhanced governance systems, thereby making such instruments attractive to institutional investors such as pension funds and insurance companies.
Thirdly, inter-Governmental fiscal transfers/devolution funds remain a critical pillar of urban infrastructure financing. Government continues to provide targeted capital grants to local authorities for priority infrastructure, while also reviewing the fiscal devolution framework to ensure that transfers are more predictable, performance-based and responsive to infrastructure backlogs. These transfers are being aligned with national development priorities and climate-resilient infrastructure standards. In addition, the ministry encourages local authorities to apply for borrowing powers in order to access finance for infrastructure development/upgrading.
The ministry is also promoting climate and development finance, including concessional loans and grants from development partners, particularly for drainage and sewer projects that address flooding, public health and climate adaptation. Through this diversified financing strategy, the ministry aims to ensure that urban infrastructure rehabilitation is adequately funded, resilient and sustainable so as to attain the goals of Vision 2030.
Q: With climate change intensifying rainfall patterns, how is the ministry incorporating climate-resilient standards into urban planning, building codes and settlement expansion to ensure that new and existing suburbs are better protected from flooding?
A: In the wake of climate change and escalating disaster incidents, the ministry continues to encourage retrofitting of existing buildings; building back better after disasters and also building right the first time to ensure that infrastructure is resilient to the vagaries of climate change. In the same stride, infrastructure designs should speak to climate change to ensure protection against climate shocks.
