Background and Context

Gweru, one of Zimbabwe’s key urban centers, has long grappled with deteriorating public services—most notably in health and education. Erratic water supply, poor waste management, under-resourced clinics, and overburdened schools have triggered a growing discord between citizens and the local authority. The Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA), a civic organization advocating for responsive service delivery, launched the Strengthening Institutions and People Participation in Public Finance Management (SIPPP) project in partnership with ZIMCODD to address these issues.

The project aimed to bolster public finance oversight, promote inclusive governance, and ensure effective use of local government resources. With support from stakeholders including community-based organizations (CBOs), councillors, and residents, SIPPP Phase 1 (September–December 2024) was rolled out across all 18 wards of Gweru.

Methodological Approach

SIPPP employed the Engagement for Progress (E4P) model, emphasizing grassroots engagement and participatory governance. The project adopted a multi-stakeholder, rights-based approach, combining civic education, community mobilization, expenditure tracking, and accountability forums.

Key methodologies included:

• Community budget literacy training for residents and marginalized groups (women, youth, PWDs)

• Capacity building for duty bearers on participatory budgeting and legislative compliance

• Expenditure tracking surveys on health and education

• Dialogue platforms between residents and local authorities

• Advocacy efforts based on community-generated evidence

Activities and Implementation

1. Budget Literacy and Civic Engagement
   GRRA conducted budget review meetings and participatory budgeting trainings, demystifying the budget process and enabling citizens to critically engage with council budget allocations. This was supplemented with a creative video skit highlighting the importance of civic participation in budgeting.

2. Expenditure Tracking in Health and Education
   Community champions were trained to monitor local clinics and schools, with tools deployed to assess how resources were allocated and utilized. Findings indicated underfunding and diversion of resources from critical health services—raising citizen concerns over transparency.

3. Rights Holder–Duty Bearer Dialogues
   Community interface meetings provided an open forum for residents to express frustrations about service delivery. For example, the lack of a maternity ward in Mkoba 1 and the limited number of ambulances sparked intense discussions. In response, councillors pledged improvements, including completion of Mkoba 18 clinic and refurbishment of Mkoba 1’s maternity wing in the 2025 budget.

4. Civic Oversight and Advocacy
   GRRA’s collaboration with NGO Africa Watch uncovered irregularities in the Mkoba 21 stands allocation process, such as inflated land valuations and lack of community consultation. Advocacy efforts led to a review of council valuation methods, strengthening the watchdog role of civil society.

5. Capacity Building for CBOs and Duty Bearers
   Training sessions for local civic organizations and council officials focused on Public Finance Management (PFM) systems and policy compliance, reinforcing institutional accountability.

Successes and Impact

• Increased Civic Engagement: Residents, particularly youth, women, and PWDs, gained a voice in budget discussions and service delivery planning.

• Policy Influence: Resident-led advocacy influenced the inclusion of healthcare priorities in the 2025 Gweru budget, including ambulance acquisition and clinic upgrades.

• Improved Transparency: Exposing malpractices in land allocations spurred institutional reforms, while expenditure tracking tools empowered communities to monitor local service delivery.

• Infrastructure Commitments: Gweru City Council responded by purchasing three ambulances and maintaining affordable burial fees, reflecting responsiveness to citizen input.

Challenges

• Limited Authority of Councillors: Councillors cited constrained decision-making powers, particularly when ministerial interventions overruled local resolutions.

• Low Initial Participation: Apathy among residents, driven by years of exclusion from meaningful governance, hindered early participation in budget processes.

• Information Gaps: Lack of access to comprehensive budget data complicated tracking and analysis for both residents and civic groups.

Key Learnings

1. Empowered Citizens Drive Change: Educating residents on budget processes and their rights significantly boosts public participation and governance outcomes.

2. Institutional Capacity Building is Crucial: Councillors and civic groups must be trained to understand and apply PFM principles for sustained accountability.

3. Dialogue Bridges Divides: Facilitated engagement between rights holders and duty bearers fosters trust and collaborative problem-solving.

4. Evidence-Based Advocacy Works: Using data and testimonies from the community strengthens advocacy efforts and ensures informed policy responses.

Conclusion

Phase 1 of SIPPP demonstrated the power of citizen-led governance and accountability. By combining community mobilization, institutional training, and data-driven advocacy, GRRA and its partners have set a foundation for more transparent, inclusive, and responsive public finance management in Gweru. The successes of SIPPP serve not only as a local triumph but as a replicable model for civic engagement and fiscal accountability across Zimbabwe.