Minister Garwe Cracks Down on Corruption and Mismanagement in Mashonaland West Councils

Local authorities in Mashonaland West Province have come under fire from the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Honourable Daniel Garwe, who issued a firm warning over rampant corruption, weak leadership, and environmental neglect.

Addressing the All Councillors Meeting held at the Chinhoyi Showgrounds on Thursday, Minister Garwe condemned the misappropriation of estate funds, illegal land allocations, and unchecked pollution of water bodies through raw sewage discharge. He described the conduct of some councils as “unacceptable” and called for immediate corrective action.

“Citizens have lost confidence in local authorities due to poor governance and lack of accountability,” Garwe said. “This pattern of corruption and mismanagement cannot be allowed to continue.”

He also criticized internal conflicts among councillors, unauthorised workshops, and the leaking of official documents on social media — actions he said were eroding public trust.

To tackle the problem, Garwe announced that a Special Task Force will soon be established in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) to investigate and address malpractice in local governance structures.

The Minister further instructed councils to improve their financial systems through the adoption of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) technologies and to focus on completing ongoing projects before initiating new developments.

In a strong appeal for cleaner urban environments, Garwe linked service delivery to national development goals, stating that sanitation, waste management, and environmental enforcement must be prioritized if Zimbabwe is to achieve its Vision 2030 targets.

“We cannot speak of development while sewage flows in our streets and towns remain filthy,” he said. “A clean city reflects a functional city.”

He urged councillors and mayors to lead by example, enforce environmental by-laws, and embrace responsible governance.

“No one else will build our country for us — nyika inovakwa nevene vayo,” he declared.

The provincial gathering, which brought together councillors and local government officials from across Mashonaland West, was described by officials as a pivotal step toward aligning local governance with national development priorities.