…From Complaints to Accountability – New Platform Puts Service Delivery Under the Spotlight

By Kudakwashe Ruzive

The future of local governance may have arrived with a simple but powerful idea letting citizens score the services they receive and turning those voices into action.

To demonstrate the concept, of the Harare Institute of Technology, Engineer Maposaguided nearly 1,000 delegates through a 24-question digital assessment, using Harare as a live case study while permanent secretary for the Ministry of Local Government, Dr Basera responded on behalf of the city.

The results painted a clear picture. Solid waste management emerged as the strongest-performing service at 83 percent, while water supply scored 45 percent, with sanitation, roads and public lighting each registering 44 percent.

Young people aged 18–24 expressed the highest satisfaction levels, while lower scores among women and persons with disabilities highlighted the need for more inclusive service delivery.

The platform’s AI analysis delivered an even stronger message: nearly three-quarters of respondents rated water quality poorly, identifying the challenge as systemic rather than isolated.

Among the recommendations was exploring private-sector participation in water monitoring and treatment.

Dr Basera said the findings align with reforms already underway, citing partnerships that have helped increase daily water production in Harare from approximately 300 to 350 megalitres.

Addressing delegates before the official launch, Minster of Housing and Social Amenities, Hon Daniel Garwe described the platform as another milestone in the Second Republic’s reform agenda rooted in accountability, devolution and citizen participation, ensuring no community is left behind.

He reaffirmed Government’s commitment to rejecting land barons, ending informal settlement expansion and strengthening service standards across local authorities.

But perhaps the platform’s greatest achievement came within minutes of going live: it transformed public opinion into measurable evidence giving citizens not just a voice, but a direct role in shaping better service delivery for the future.

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