Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza, Sunday News Reporter
FIVE rural district councils (RDCs) received thumbs up in service delivery after being ranked in the top 20 of the Annual Performance Feedback Report for 2025 by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
The report is a blueprint that assesses the performances of all the country’s 92 local authorities as Government pushes for zero tolerance to persistent service delivery shortcomings.
The country has 60 rural district councils and 32 urban local authorities. Bubi, Gwanda, Hwange, Vungu, Bulilima and Umguza were placed in the top 20 of the best performing rural district councils.
The scorecard looked at minimum service delivery standards, which call for enhanced service delivery in water, sanitation, waste, health and housing for the country’s 92 local authorities.
Last year the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works established landmark reforms that advance accountability, push for orderly urban development and aim to achieve revenue sustainability in line with Vision 2030 that councils are supposed to adhere to.
“Rural district councils and urban local authorities must deliver services under six standardised programmes namely governance and administration, water, sanitation and hygiene, social services, roads, public safety and security and natural resources and conservation,” reads the report.
It noted that councils are expected to replicate the Geo Pomona Waste, a flagship Government/private partnership that transformed Harare.
“Harare — once a hazard of uncollected garbage and illegal dumpsites, has been turned into a regional model for urban sustainability.
A nationwide rollout of prepaid water meters is also expected to start in Harare where 600 000 units will be installed and gradually spread to all local authorities across the country starting with Bulawayo and Mutare.
“The rollout aims to curb water wastage, improve revenue collection and put an end to the era of estimated billing,”
The least performing RDCs were listed as Chipinge, Mutasa and Chimanimani.
According to the report, common characteristics among councils that performed poorly were revenue collection, which was below 30 percent, weak performances across all key areas, infrastructure deterioration and governance weaknesses.
The ministry also noted that major constraints that hinder councils from satisfactory service delivery range from low revenue collection, which stands at 59 percent nationally, non-revenue water losses, ageing water and sewage infrastructure, lack of equipment and machinery, a culture of non-payment by residents, infrastructure collapse, illegal settlements and unregulated vending.
“Councils were also hamstrung by a revenue collection and fiscal transfer crisis, Government debt to councils, the impact of the drought last year, reduced and delayed funding by the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration and delays in the disbursement of devolution funds in the last two years,” reads the report.
