Farirai Machivenyika-Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT has set minimum service delivery standards which urban and rural local authorities have to meet by 2030, when the country expects to have achieved an upper middle-income economy.
The standards were gazetted by Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe last Friday under Statutory Instrument 170 of 2025, cited as Minimum Service Delivery Standards Indicators for Local Authorities, Regulations, 2025.
The minimum standards indicators are in various areas that include water supply; sanitation; solid waste management; roads, drainage and public lighting; corporate governance; environmental stewardship and beautification; public health and housing and social amenities.
For water supply, urban local authorities should cover 90 percent of their areas of jurisdiction by end of next year and 100 percent by 2030, while for rural local authorities the coverage should be 70 percent and 100 percent in the same periods.
“Every property must have direct water connection or water should be accessible within reasonable walking distance — within 100m walking distance in town and 500m or 30min roundtrip walking distance in rural areas. Examples of improved drinking water sources are piped water systems, boreholes, protected deep wells, protected shallow wells, protected dug wells, protected springs, rainwater harvesting, sand abstraction, artesian well and packaged or delivered water.
“In urbanised areas, local authorities should ensure piped water schemes or treated borehole/spring water. All urban water users should enjoy adequate, continuous, readily accessible, safe, hygienic, sustainable and affordable domestic water and sanitation services, provided by accountable, efficient, coordinated, funded and capacitated institutions. The local authority must ensure budgetary provisions for periodic property surveys in order to keep an updated record of all properties,” reads part of the SI.
The SI also directs urban local authorities to supply 100 litres of safe water to individuals by end of 2026 and 150 litres by 2030 while for rural areas it should be 60 and 80 litres in the same period respectively.
The local authorities were also directed to ensure that all customer connections are metered to enable regular billing and also have master plans to ensure sustainable water supplies for current and future demand.
By end of 2026 local authorities should provide water for 20 hours in a day and 24 hours by 2030.
“Local Authorities should monitor the quality of their treated water after production, at intermediary points and at the consumer end.
“The water service provider shall continuously provide water free from substances hazardous to human health and meeting the minimum Public Health Act and the WHO water quality standards and technical guidelines,” reads the SI.
On sanitation management local authorities’ will be required to ensure, universal access to basic toilet facilities within 20m walking distance for rural and within the property for urban.
Communal toilets are expected to be be phased out, but at the moment they should be within 50m walking distance. For prevention of communicable diseases, all toilets are required to have handwashing facilities.
Local authorities should also ensure adequate treatment capacity in all cases for sewage treatment; faecal sludge treatment, effluent treatment and safe disposal.
“Any urban property (including settlements at growth points) should have a solid waste containment facility. In order to reduce and prevent communicable diseases, local authorities should ensure that all solid waste that is not reused/recycled at the point of generation is being collected at least once per week by appropriate refuse trucks or via skip bins conveniently located in the vicinity.
“Local authorities should maintain records of solid waste collection and endeavour to stick to published refuse collection timetables.
“Local authorities should have up-to-date solid waste management by-laws. All homesteads in rural areas should have proper and functional solid waste disposal facilities such as garbage bins, refuse pits, composting systems, and waste collection systems,” the SI reads.
The local authorities should put in place measures to ensure that they collect all billed revenues and these may include instant billing, friendly payment platforms and debt collection policies.
An accrual accounting system should be in place, capable of separating arrears from current revenues and the local authorities should have an efficient Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system suitable for their size and functions.
“All properties should have access to approved or gazetted roads. In rural areas the minimum distance to an approved road should be five km radius. Key roads in a service area should be on approved layout plans or gazetted in terms of the Roads Act. All types of roads should be in good condition, trafficable with no potholes or other deformities to allow smooth rides for drivers and passengers. The Visual Condition Index (VCI) should be minimum 55 percent, the gravel wearing course is not less than 50mm and protects the public from excessive dust. The desirable state of road should meet Southern Africa Transport and Communications Commission (requirements),” SI 170 reads.
Local authorities were also compelled to have proper signage and functional traffic lights at all intersections, while public lighting should be equivalent to South African National Standards SANS 10098-1&2 Public Lighting standards, making sure that all roads and public spaces requiring lights are covered.
Minister Garwe also directed local authorities to protect all designated and gazetted wetlands and have current management and rehabilitation plans.
General health facilities availability refers to the physical presence of delivery of services that meet a minimum standard. Availability comprises health infrastructure (facilities). It does not include mobile service delivery points and nonformal services, such as traditional healers. Comprehensiveness, accessibility, coverage, continuity and quality of primary health care services as stipulated by Ministry of Health and Child Care standards.
“One health facility should be provided per 10 000 people. Maximum distance travelled to nearest health centre: 10km radius (rural), and 5km radius (urban),” reads the SI.
The SI also compels both urban and rural local authorities to provide one primary school for 500 residential properties, while in communal and resettlement areas, one primary school should be within a five-kilometre radius while one secondary school should be available for between three and five primary schools.
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