Harare – 7 May 2025 — Zimbabwe’s Cabinet has approved the long-awaited Service Delivery Standards for Local Authorities Framework, a central component of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s “A Call to Action Blue Print.” While the framework promises improved accountability and performance in local governance, critics argue it is deeply compromised by the president’s own track record of politically motivated sabotage against opposition-led municipalities.
The standards, prepared by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, include new oversight mechanisms, master plan requirements, and digital dashboards to monitor local authority compliance in areas such as water, sanitation, waste management, and roads. But governance experts and opposition figures are casting doubt on the sincerity of the policy—pointing to a resurfaced official ZANU PF video in which President Mnangagwa openly calls for the destruction of opposition-run councils.
In the video, Mnangagwa states:
“All service delivery issues needing attention of the MDC, it doesn’t matter which MDC, must be stopped and they must crash at Harvest House building.”
The remarks are widely interpreted as a directive to withhold support and frustrate urban councils led by the opposition, primarily the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), previously MDC formations.
“This isn’t a service delivery blueprint—it’s political warfare disguised as reform,” said a senior urban planning expert who spoke anonymously. “The inspectorate will likely be used to punish opposition-run councils while turning a blind eye to ZANU PF failures.”
In stark contrast, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, reacting to local government election results in his country, took a statesmanlike tone that highlighted democratic maturity and a commitment to stable, inclusive governance.
“This is how democracy works… I would like to see stability in our local government sector… that whatever coalitions are formed, they result in service delivery for the people,” Ramaphosa said in a widely circulated recording. He congratulated victorious opposition mayors and emphasized gender equality and democratic accountability, sentiments absent from Mnangagwa’s approach.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s Cabinet also approved the Climate Change Management Bill, aligning environmental law with constitutional protections. The Bill introduces new regulations for emissions, promotes carbon trading, and creates a Designated National Authority and a National Climate Fund.
But with trust in national leadership dwindling, civil society groups warn that without a genuine commitment to transparency and democracy, neither environmental protection nor urban development goals will be achieved.