By Admire Chitsungo
Local authorities have been accused of prioritising bottle stores and beerhalls at the expense of schools, clinics and industries, with Government calling for a major shift in council planning and licensing practices.
Ministry of Local Government and Public Works permanent secretary Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti said councils should urgently realign their planning, land allocation and licensing frameworks towards creating productive and economically sustainable communities.
Eng Muguti made the remarks on Monday in Kadoma while addressing town clerks, secretaries and chief executive officers from all 92 local authorities at a Local Government Transformational Workshop.
The workshop was also attended by district development coordinators and senior ministry officials.
He criticised what he described as the proliferation of bottle stores and beerhalls, particularly in residential areas, questioning whether some councils were prioritising revenue generation over the provision of essential services.
“We now have more bottle stores and beerhalls in locations than schools, clinics and industries. We have more people who are intoxicated than occupied in something meaningful,” he said.
Eng Muguti challenged councils to review their licensing regimes and consider the wider social and economic impact of approving businesses in residential communities.
“How can a council issue more licences for beerhalls and bottle stores instead of important social amenities?” he asked.
He said local authorities, as custodians of local development, had a responsibility to ensure that land allocation, business licensing and infrastructure development supported national development priorities.
Eng Muguti also criticised the allocation of unserviced residential stands by some rural district councils, saying the practice was undermining the original purpose of growth points.
“Growth points were meant for economic growth,” he said.
He urged councils to rethink their spatial planning models and give greater priority to infrastructure, industrial development, social amenities and economic opportunities.
Eng Muguti said growth points should not be allowed to become predominantly residential settlements without corresponding investment in economic infrastructure and services.
He called for integrated planning that ensures residents have access to essential services while creating opportunities for employment and local economic activity.
The permanent secretary said councils should move away from approaches that focus narrowly on revenue generation and instead consider the broader social and economic consequences of their decisions.
He urged local authorities to abandon practices that contribute to unplanned settlements and adopt development models centred on infrastructure provision, economic activity and improved living standards.
The remarks come as government pushes for reforms aimed at strengthening local governance, improving service delivery and positioning councils as institutions capable of contributing to national economic development.
Eng Muguti said the transformation of local authorities should ultimately place citizens at the centre of local governance while ensuring that land and other resources are used to support sustainable development.
