By Flata Kavinga
Kwekwe District Development Coordinator Fortune Mpungu has urged the Municipality of Redcliff to prioritise the implementation of minimum service delivery standards set by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works if the town is to achieve its ambition of attaining city status by 2030.
Mpungu made the remarks while addressing councillors during a full council meeting, where he commended the council for its ongoing work but challenged it to intensify efforts in improving service delivery.
“I really enjoyed the discussions that were taking place in this august house. You are doing quite well as a local authority but I urge you to do more than you are doing,” he said.
Mpungu likened the drive for improved service delivery to athletes competing at the Olympic Games, saying local authorities must constantly strive to outperform previous achievements rather than be satisfied with current progress.
“As a local authority, we should not be content with the status quo. We should aim even higher,” he said, noting that time was limited for Redcliff to meet the requirements needed for city status by 2030.
He said adherence to the ministry’s minimum service delivery standards would be critical in determining whether the municipality achieves the milestone.
“Once we score highly on the minimum service delivery standards, we are good to go and will definitely be a city by 2030. But once we fail to achieve those minimum standards, city status will always remain a pipe dream,” Mpungu said.
Mpungu reminded councillors that local authorities are the tier of government closest to communities and carry the responsibility of addressing residents’ needs and aspirations.
“Government has entrusted you with the responsibility to improve the lives of the people at this level. You are the engine for development and that is what central government expects,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of addressing service delivery challenges, including issues such as sewer bursts, warning that persistent problems could erode public confidence in local authorities.
“It will be very bad to hear passengers in a commuter omnibus referring to a place as the point where there is a sewer burst. Residents sometimes give such names as a way of communicating service delivery concerns,” Mpungu said.
The district coordinator also encouraged the municipality to strengthen efforts to attract investors, saying partnerships with the private sector could accelerate development in the town.
He said the ministry had requested local authorities to submit information on incentives and policies designed to promote the ease of doing business.
“We want to check how you are luring investors into your area and what policies you are putting in place to attract them into Redcliff,” he said.
Mpungu further revealed that local authorities would soon be ranked based on their performance in implementing minimum service delivery standards.
“Local authorities will be ranked just like teams in the English Premier League. We don’t want to see you anchoring the bottom of the table; we want you to be among the top performers,” he said.
Redcliff has in recent years been pursuing initiatives aimed at improving infrastructure and service delivery as part of its broader vision to attain city status by 2030.
