Most of Zimbabwe's local authorities failed to receive devolution funding in 2025, raising concerns over stalled infrastructure projects, weakened service delivery and planning uncertainty.

By Southerton Business Times | Harare Harare City Council (HCC) has dismissed allegations that it operates a secret payroll, describing the claims as false, malicious and intended to mislead residents. In a statement issued on Thursday, Acting Town Clerk Warren Chiwawa said reports suggesting the local authority maintains a hidden payroll system were inaccurate and did not reflect the council's payroll administration processes. "Our attention has been drawn to a story in the

The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee has criticised Mwenezi RDC CEO Albert Chivanga after an Auditor-General's report revealed that a council motorcycle was allocated to a non-employee without council approval.

MAKONI – Makoni District has identified several communal and resettlement areas where illegal land allocations, commonly known as "sabhuku deals," are rampant, as Government intensifies efforts to curb unlawful settlements across Zimbabwe.

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume says an insider may be helping robbers target City of Harare district offices after another cash theft at a municipal banking hall.

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.

BEITBRIDGE – Beitbridge Municipality says it is struggling to maintain normal service delivery as thousands of repatriates continue to pass through the Beitbridge Border Post each day, placing unprecedented pressure on refuse collection and sanitation services. Council officials revealed that the influx of returning Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals has significantly disrupted waste management operations, forcing refuse collection trucks to make multiple trips to the border d

BULAWAYO – Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart is facing growing political pressure from the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) faction aligned to self-styled interim secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu, following his absence from a presidential borehole scheme event in Cowdray Park attended by several party councillors.

HARARE – The Zimbabwean Government has officially outlawed the practice of "parallel development", declaring that no residential houses may be built or occupied before essential infrastructure such as roads, water supply, sewer systems, and stormwater drainage has been fully installed and certified by local authorities. The policy marks a major shift in Zimbabwe's urban housing development framework and is intended to restore orderly town planning while tackling the rapid gro

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

Harare is set for a major traffic management upgrade after City Parking announced plans to install 49 smart solar-powered traffic light systems across the capital in partnership with the City of Harare. The project forms part of broader efforts to modernise the city's ageing traffic infrastructure, improve traffic flow, and reduce congestion at some of Harare's busiest intersections. According to City Parking, the new intelligent traffic management system will replace outdate

TSHOLOTSHO – ZANU-PF has secured victory in all three wards contested in the Tsholotsho Rural District Council by-elections held on Saturday, 20 June, according to official results released by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).

CHITUNGWIZA — Chitungwiza Municipality has ordered operators of pool tables located at unauthorised sites across the town to remove them and any associated illegal structures within seven working days, citing growing concerns over drug and substance abuse.

HARARE — A Harare resident has approached the High Court seeking an urgent order to halt the rollout of prepaid water meters in the capital, arguing that the system is unlawful, violates existing water legislation, and threatens residents' access to water. Bernadette Makaya, a ratepayer from Mabelreign, filed the application through lawyer Tinashe Chinopfukutwa of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).

A controversy has emerged after Chiefs Chikwanda and Nyakuchena were reportedly seen accompanying Minister Daniel Garwe as part of his security detail, prompting constitutional and governance concerns from legal experts.

Police have arrested four Harare City Council officials in connection with the deaths of three Budiriro residents who drowned after falling into an open sewer sludge pit. Investigations are continuing.

Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe says criminal investigations are underway after three people drowned in an unsecured sewer trench in Budiriro, with council workers potentially facing culpable homicide charges.

VICTORIA FALLS – Political tensions within Victoria Falls City Council escalated dramatically on Thursday after a recalled Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) councillor was arrested and forcibly removed from council offices, while Mayor Prince Thuso Moyo and his deputy, Lungile Nyoni, simultaneously faced growing calls for their removal from office.

HARARE — The Zimbabwean government has ordered local authorities across the country to immediately suspend workshops, conferences, foreign trips, and so-called “look-and-learn” visits, citing growing concerns that excessive spending on travel and meetings is undermining service delivery.