25/08/2026
*Min Garwe calls for revenue-generating infrastructure to build financially sustainable cities*
Zimbabwe has called for African cities to rethink municipal trading services and invest in revenue-generating infrastructure as part of efforts to achieve financial self-reliance and improve service delivery.
Addressing a high-level policy discussion on infrastructure investment, project delivery, financing mechanisms and regional collaboration at the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa (SIDSSA) 2026 in Century City, South Africa on Tuesday, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Hon D Garwe, said financially sustainable cities could not continue relying heavily on fiscal transfers, but should instead develop infrastructure capable of generating revenue while supporting economic growth.
Minister Garwe said investment in water, electricity, solid waste, urban logistics and power distribution infrastructure could transform the financial position of local authorities.
“Our cities cannot prosper while local authorities remain dependent on fiscal transfers. Financial self-reliance must be the goal,” he said.
Minister Garwe said Zimbabwe's transformation agenda was anchored on political and policy clarity, citing a November 2023 directive by President Emmerson Mnangagwa which required local authorities to move beyond their traditional administrative role and become active facilitators of local economic development.
He said the directive had created opportunities for councils to enter partnerships, embrace technology and operate under performance-based systems.
Minister Garwe identified public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a key mechanism for closing the infrastructure financing gap, highlighting the City of Harare's 30-year partnership to transform the Pomona dumpsite into an integrated environmental and energy hub.
The Pomona project combines engineered landfills, waste encapsulation, wastewater treatment and waste sorting, with the facility designed to generate between 16 and 22 megawatts of electricity for the national grid.
He said the model was being replicated in other parts of the country as Zimbabwe seeks to turn waste into energy and revenue while improving public health and advancing its zero-waste ambitions.
On water management, Minister Garwe said Zimbabwe was addressing high levels of non-revenue water through commercialisation, smart metering and improved billing systems.
He said Harare had integrated prepaid water meters into its Geographic Information System (GIS) database, while Bulawayo was using GIS to track assets and improve revenue mapping.
Other local authorities, he said, were undertaking GIS audits to identify illegal structures and unbilled connections.
Technology was also being deployed in urban transport, with Harare introducing an AI-powered Smart Traffic Management System using smart poles and cameras to optimise traffic signals, improve road safety, automate fines and reduce cash leakages.
Minister Garwe stressed that infrastructure investment and technology had to be accompanied by governance reforms to ensure sustainable results.
He said Zimbabwe had updated its legal framework to facilitate smart electricity, water and traffic systems, while statutory instruments had been introduced to establish service delivery standards and penalties for failure.
The Minister said Zimbabwe was also diversifying sources of municipal financing beyond the national fiscus.
He cited updated PPP guidelines, standardised processes, strict implementation timelines and a 30 percent State equity component as measures designed to strengthen project delivery.
Zimbabwe was also pursuing blended financing arrangements, including the use of land in lieu of cash, supported by new valuation policies.
Major cities were meanwhile preparing to access domestic capital markets through municipal bonds, with preparations involving the Financial Securities Exchange (FINSEC) and the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange.
Minister Garwe said regional cooperation would be critical in creating economies of scale and attracting investment into African cities.
He called for harmonisation of data standards, procurement approaches and municipal financing instruments to reduce costs and make urban infrastructure projects more attractive to investors.
“Zimbabwe stands ready to share lessons from the Pomona waste-to-energy project, from GIS-based revenue assurance, and from our municipal bond preparation process,” he said.
He added that Zimbabwe also sought to learn from regional best practices in capital markets and credit enhancement.
Minister Garwe said financially sustainable cities rested on three key pillars — revenue-generating assets, performance-driven contracts and governance systems that enforced accountability.
“Let this dialogue commit us to invest in infrastructure that pays for itself, to measure and enforce performance, and to collaborate regionally so that our cities become the engines of Africa's prosperity,” he said.
The SIDSSA 2026 symposium brings together policymakers, municipal leaders, investors and infrastructure stakeholders to deliberate on sustainable infrastructure development and innovative financing solutions for the region.
ZBC News Online The Herald-Zimbabwe Chronicle Zimbabwe
