By George Makoni
Residents from across the country have broadly welcomed new regulations aimed at tightening standards in local government service delivery while warning that public consultation must not be sidelined.
Statutory Instrument 170 of 2025 sets minimum benchmarks for services provided by local authorities including water and sanitation, road maintenance and street lighting, refuse collection, health, housing, education and corporate governance.
The regulations were presented to more than 100 residents and stakeholders in Harare by the Ministry of Local Government’s Director of Inspectorate, Mrs Priscillah Mudzinge as part of the government’s drive towards Vision 2030 which seeks to transform Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income economy by the end of the decade.
Zimbabwe Union of Residents chairperson, Marvellous Khumalo said the instrument could strengthen accountability and transparency in local councils.
“We welcome SI 170 of 2025 as a mechanism that can improve service delivery by local authorities,” he said.
However, he raised concerns about what he described as limited consultation during the drafting of the regulations particularly the exclusion of residents whom he said are key stakeholders. Khumalo cited provisions of the Constitution that require public participation in policy formulation.
Despite these reservations, he described the new rules as “a good starting point” and urged the government to ensure residents are involved in annual reviews of the instrument.
Legal experts also encouraged citizens to actively use the new regulations.
Nomathemba Ndlovu a lawyer with the Centre for Applied Legal Research said the instrument provided residents with a legal basis to demand better services.
She urged communities to engage Parliament and where necessary, pursue litigation to enforce accountability.
Meanwhile, the Combined Harare Residents Association said it plans to roll out an awareness campaign to educate residents about the new regulations and how they can be used to hold local authorities to account.
