Patrick Chitumba [email protected]
GWERU City Council (GCC) has set service delivery priorities for 2027 to 2030, including expanding water supplies to all suburbs, rehabilitating roads and strengthening accountability.
The commitments emerged from a three-day strategic review meeting held in Bulawayo this week, bringing together Government officials, businesspeople, residents, councillors and council management to assess performance and map the way forward.
Gweru District Development Coordinator Mr Tarisai Mudadigwa said the review enabled the local authority to assess its performance in service delivery, revenue collection, governance and infrastructure development.
“We have reviewed where we are as a local authority, our performance in service delivery, revenue collection, governance, infrastructure and our responsiveness to our residents and ratepayers,” he said.
Mr Mudadigwa said council had acknowledged shortcomings in water supply, waste management, road maintenance and internal efficiencies.
“We have shied away from our challenges. We have acknowledged our gaps in waste management, water supply, roads and internal efficiencies. But more importantly, we have identified our strengths and agreed on strategic priorities that will take us forward in line with Vision 2030,” he said.
He said increasing water pumping capacity was among the priorities for the 2027–2030 planning period, with the aim of improving distribution and ensuring reliable supplies across residential areas.
Road rehabilitation is also expected to feature prominently, with council seeking to improve accessibility and support economic activity.
Gweru Mayor Councillor Martin Chivhoko said the reviewed strategic plan was a commitment to residents, who expected better services and transparent governance.
“Council has produced a social contract. Gweru residents expect better services, transparent governance and accountable leadership, and this reviewed Strategic Plan commits us to that,” he said.
The review also emphasised performance management, with councillors and management signing performance-based contracts to strengthen accountability and institutional efficiency.
Town Clerk Mr Livingstone Churu said the contracts would provide a framework for assessing officials and councillors against agreed responsibilities and targets.
He said the focus on measurable performance was intended to ensure that commitments made during the review translated into tangible improvements for residents.
Water supply, road rehabilitation, waste management and more efficient use of municipal resources remain key priorities for the local authority.
Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association director Mr Cornelius Selipiwe said improvements in service delivery needed to be sustained.
“Progress made by council in roads rehabilitation, provision of water and refuse removal for example need to be sustained. As residents we are expecting continued improvements in the provision of essential services and greater accountability in the use of public resources,” he said.
Mr Selipiwe said stronger revenue collection and improved financial management would be critical to financing municipal operations and infrastructure projects.
He said residents would ultimately judge the plan by whether it delivered more reliable water supplies, better roads, improved waste management and transparent governance.
The strategic priorities align with the country’s Vision 2030 agenda, which seeks to achieve an upper-middle-income economy through infrastructure development, improved service delivery and efficient public institutions.
