Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, [email protected]
MATABELELAND North province has started rolling out development programmes as part of implementing President Mnangagwa’s “Call to Action -No Compromise to Service Delivery.”
The blueprint, which was launched by the President in November last year, provides guidelines that local authorities must take to ensure they provide efficient services that are in line with the country’s quest to achieve a middle-income economy by 2030.
The Matabeleland North Provincial Development Committee (PDC) on Tuesday attended a sensitisation meeting on the “Call to Action-No Compromise to Service Delivery” blueprint.
The meeting, which was chaired by the acting provincial director in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Mr Tapiwa Zivovoi was attended by officials from various ministries, departments, and agencies in the province.
The blueprint spells out the mandate of the local authorities, the need to have master plans, audited accounts that are up to date, evaluation reports and to modernise their systems of operation and revenue collection.
“The purpose of today’s meeting was to sensitise and also roll out the blueprint to Matabeleland North province so that members of the provincial development committee and ministries, departments and agencies are aware of the blueprint and support it as local authorities are moving towards an empowered and prosperous community by 2030,” said Mr Zivovoi.
Matabeleland North province has 10 local authorities, namely Hwange Rural District Council, Empumalanga Local Board, Victoria Falls City, Binga Rural District Council, Kusile Rural District Council, Lupane Town Board, Tsholotsho Rural District Council, Umguza Rural District Council, Nkayi Rural District Council, and Bubi Rural District Council.
Local authorities were also given a June 30 deadline to carry out a valuation exercise for their properties. Most of the councils do not know the value of their properties and hence risk losing out on potential revenue streams.
The valuation exercise is part of a raft of interventions by the Government aimed at ensuring that the local authorities are in sync with the national vision following concerns that some of them may deliberately sabotage the Vision 2030 drive for political expediency.
Under the valuation of properties for rating purposes, the Government also directed that all budgets for 2025/26 should be based on such valuations whose budget will come from devolution funds, and subject to approval by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
The valuation of land will enable local authorities to have a balance sheet that reflects true value and will make it easier for local authorities to raise money from financial institutions, and sell land as well as levy rates based on prevailing market prices.
Government also noted that leasing of land on road servitudes has contributed immensely to the congestion levels in metropolitan provinces and directed that local authorities should include in their lease agreements such servitude clauses.
On master plans which also must be operative by June 30 this year, President Mnangagwa said abiding by the document was key to the sound management of every local authority as well as enabling them to develop to their potential.
He said in the 2024 budget, all local authorities that do not have operative Master plans should include costs and a roadmap on how they will develop.
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