Zanu PF Backs Term Limits for Council Chiefs

Zanu PF backs term limits for senior council executives to curb corruption and improve accountability in local authorities across Zimbabwe (image source)

Zanu PF has resolved to introduce fixed term limits for town clerks, chief executive officers and senior executives in local authorities, a policy move the party says will dismantle entrenched corruption networks and restore accountability in Zimbabwe’s embattled municipalities. Party delegates at the 22nd National People’s Conference in Mutare adopted the motion as part of a wider governance reform package aimed at curbing alleged long-running abuses in councils, including illegal land allocations, inflated tenders and misuse of ratepayers’ funds. The resolution mandates time-bound tenure for senior council administrators and calls for strengthened oversight, lifestyle audits and faster prosecutions where wrongdoing is found.

The most immediate outcome is political alignment behind a rule that could remove long-serving executives perceived as having captured administrative systems to shield graft, with Zanu PF describing the measure as central to reversing “a culture of entitlement and impunity” in local government. Party sources said the resolution will be tabled with Cabinet and pushed toward legislative effect through the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) taskforce already investigating municipal corruption.

Under the proposal, councils would set maximum consecutive terms for chief officers and require periodic performance reviews linked to re-appointment eligibility. Governance experts welcomed the intent but warned that term limits alone are insufficient. “Term limits can break patronage networks and open space for fresh talent, but without independent oversight, transparent recruitment and enforceable sanctions they risk becoming cosmetic,” said Dr. Tapera Mudzengi, a local governance specialist.

The proposal dovetails with a government taskforce between the Ministry of Local Government and ZACC charged with investigating, recommending prosecutions and tightening financial controls in councils; the taskforce has already opened probes in several municipalities, including Harare and Gweru, over alleged procurement fraud and illicit land deals. Zimbabwe’s councils have faced repeated service-delivery failures — uncollected refuse, water outages and collapsing roads — that critics attribute to mismanagement and corruption. International examples cited by party delegates include Botswana, Singapore and Rwanda, where tenure limits and performance contracts are part of broader public-sector reforms credited with improving municipal services and investor confidence.

Legal experts say the policy requires legislative change or regulatory directives to be binding, clear definitions of tenure and transitional arrangements for incumbents. Trade unions and municipal staff associations may resist abrupt removals without due process, and courts could entertain challenges over employment rights. Observers stress that harmonising term limits with public-service regulations, pension rules and disciplinary pathways will be essential to avoid administrative paralysis.

Zanu PF’s resolution marks a politically significant first step toward curbing municipal corruption, but its effectiveness will hinge on legal drafting, enforcement capacity and transparent implementation. The coming weeks should show whether Cabinet will fast-track legislative proposals, how ZACC will prioritise municipal probes and whether councils will adopt complementary reforms such as lifestyle audits and open procurement.