GOVERNMENT has urged local authorities to ensure that the Smart Cities programme is centred on improving the lives of citizens, stressing that technology must be used to address real community challenges rather than being pursued for its own sake.
Speaking during an engagement in Victoria Falls, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Public Works Albert Mavunga said the success of smart city projects should be judged by their ability to improve services and living conditions, particularly for communities that remain underserved.
He said councils must first engage residents and understand their challenges before introducing technological solutions.
“Technology is just a tool that we can use, but what is important is the outcome. Our solutions must be people-centric,” said Deputy Minister Mavunga.
He encouraged local authorities to adopt a grassroots approach to development planning, with communities taking an active role in identifying their priorities and contributing to the design of solutions.
“Let us go down to the grassroots, let us talk to the people and collect data from the people we serve so that we come up with the right solutions for our communities,” he said.
Deputy Minister Mavunga said the Smart Cities concept should not be limited to major urban areas but should also benefit rural communities through the development of what he described as “Smart Villages”.
He questioned how technology could be taken to rural areas to improve the lives of people who often have limited access to modern services.
“Let’s not just talk about smart cities; let’s also talk about smart villages. What are we doing about that? How are we bringing technology to the villages that we come from? How are we bringing solutions to a grandmother in the village?” he asked.
The Deputy Minister also cautioned councils against introducing smart systems that are too expensive for ordinary citizens to access.
He said the ultimate objective should be to make public services more accessible and affordable to the majority of Zimbabweans.
“If a Smart City does not make services affordable for the masses, then we are wasting time,” he said.
The government’s approach is anchored on the Second Republic’s Vision 2030 agenda, which seeks to harness innovation and digital technologies to modernise public services while promoting inclusive and sustainable development.
Local authorities have also been directed to develop master plans to guide orderly urban expansion, improve access to essential services and support the development of towns and cities into modern economic centres.
The 2025 National Budget Strategy Paper identified vibrant settlements and smart cities among key priorities for promoting economic development, improving public service delivery and raising citizens’ quality of life.
Deputy Minister Mavunga said councils could also use innovative financing mechanisms, including public-private partnerships, to implement infrastructure projects without putting excessive pressure on their limited resources.
He pointed to Harare’s smart water meter project as an example of how such partnerships can support service delivery.
Under the model, private sector players provide the infrastructure while residents access the service through the local authority, with payments being spread over an agreed period instead of requiring the council to meet the full cost upfront.
According to Deputy Minister Mavunga, the smart water meter initiative has helped improve revenue collection, identify water leaks more quickly and strengthen the city’s capacity to provide reliable clean water.
He said similar partnership models could be applied to other areas, including waste management.
Deputy Minister Mavunga also highlighted the potential of bio-methane reactors and other environmentally friendly technologies in promoting sustainable waste management and climate action.
However, he stressed that communities must be involved in such projects from the beginning to ensure that solutions are practical and responsive to local needs.
He called for “reverse innovation”, whereby authorities develop affordable and practical technologies based on the everyday challenges faced by Zimbabweans.
“The smartness must be applied across the board, not just in urban centres, so that every Zimbabwean benefits from development,” said Deputy Minister Mavunga.