HARARE — Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe has imposed an immediate nationwide ban on workshops, seminars, conferences, foreign travel and look-and-learn visits by local authorities, saying councils must prioritise service delivery over non-essential expenditure. The directive, contained in a ministerial circular dated 27 May 2026, was tabled before local authorities through Chamber Secretaries on 28 May 2026.

MASVINGO – Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Public Accounts has summoned 10 local authorities to explain financial irregularities highlighted in the Auditor-General's 2021 to 2023 audit reports, as lawmakers intensify oversight of public spending by councils across Zimbabwe. The hearings, being held at Clever's Lodge near Lake Mutirikwi in Masvingo, form part of a nationwide inquiry into the management of public funds by local authorities.

HARARE – Zimbabwe's local authorities recorded a decline in overall performance during 2025, with the country's largest urban councils failing to significantly improve service delivery despite their critical role in driving economic growth, according to the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works' latest performance evaluation. The Annual Performance Feedback Report for the 2025 Fiscal Year reveals that the average performance score for Zimbabwe's 92 local authorities f