Zim GBC News | Harare Correspondent
HARARE – In a sweeping reform aimed at tackling chronic service delivery failures, the Government has gazetted new regulations compelling all local authorities to spend more on essential services than on salaries and administrative costs.
Statutory Instrument 69 of 2026, cited as the Minimum Service Delivery Standards Indicators for Local Authorities (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (No. 1), introduces a binding 70:30 ratio — requiring councils to direct the bulk of their expenditure toward water, refuse collection, roads and sanitation, rather than wages.
Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe will oversee compliance, with powers to issue written warnings, suspend foreign travel, downgrade council status, and recommend dismissal of officials for non-performance.
“Local authority failure is no longer being treated as a vague governance problem. It is now a compliance issue with stated sanctions,” the regulations state.
The new rules apply to both urban and rural councils and demand programme-based budgets aligned with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS), accrual-based double-entry accounting, and clear separation of service-related budget heads.
Councils must also strengthen human resources through performance appraisals, skills audits, and employment of qualified staff. Statutory obligations such as tax payments, pension deductions, NSSA contributions, asset insurance, and other mandatory remittances are now non-negotiable.
Draft financial statements must be submitted to the Comptroller and Auditor-General within 60 days after each financial year end.
The regulations come against a backdrop of repeated council failures. Harare residents have endured chronic water shortages, poor refuse collection, and worsening sanitation. Chitungwiza has been plagued by fraud and waste while services collapsed. In Redcliff, officials were cited for failing to account for public infrastructure materials.
A reward system has also been created for top-performing councils, with provincial and national recognition for urban and rural authorities. Individual awards will go to best-performing chairpersons, mayors, town clerks, CEOs, and town secretaries.
“The real test will not be the wording of the law. It will be whether the standards are applied consistently, including against politically protected councils and senior officials,” a governance analyst said.
If enforced without fear or favour, residents may finally see a law that changes daily life — not just procedure.
For real-time updates:
📱 WhatsApp Alerts: +263 773 820 323
🐦 X (Twitter): @ZimGbc
📸 Instagram: @ZimGBCNews
🎵 TikTok: @ZimGBCNews_01
📘 Facebook: Zim GBC News
▶️ YouTube: Zim GBC News
🌐 Website: www.zimgbcnews.co.zw
Zim GBC News | Global News From An African Perspective©2026