Devolution in crisis as government disburses under 0.1% of constitutional threshold
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Parliamentary Watch
HARARE — Parliament has heard fierce criticism over the central government’s failure to honour constitutional devolution disbursements to local authorities, with lawmakers revealing that less than 0.1% of collected national revenue was released to provincial and local councils in the first half of 2026.
Contributing to the Mid-Term Budget Review debate, Hon. Madzivanyika stated that while the Constitution mandates that at least 5% of national revenue be allocated to local government tiers, Treasury disbursed less than ZiG 1 billion out of the ZiG 137.8 billion collected. Under the 5% constitutional formula, local authorities should have received ZiG 6.89 billion.
“What is the purpose of this Parliament if the Constitution and the laws we make are blatantly disregarded in our presence?” Hon. Madzivanyika questioned.
Lawmakers, including Hon. Dhliwayo, warned that the withholding of devolution disbursements has crippled local authorities’ ability to maintain water and sanitation systems, fix local roads, and manage refuse disposal.
In response, Finance Minister Prof. Mthuli Ncube acknowledged the pressures on the fiscal purse, maintaining that disbursements are phased in line with cash availability and verified project milestones.
Local authorities across Bulawayo, Matabeleland North, and Matabeleland South heavily rely on devolution funds for critical water reticulation, rural clinic maintenance, and feeder roads. The non-disbursement leaves rural district councils (such as Tsholotsho, Lupane, Beitbridge, and Gwanda) and the Bulawayo City Council without capital funding to alleviate ongoing municipal water and infrastructure distress.
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