The workshop was run by CLGF, in partnership with the Zimbabwe Local Government Association (ZILGA) and the Local Government Association of England and Wales (LGA) to explore the needs of local government in Zimbabwe and was attended by a range of partners from international local government organisations including the Swedish, Dutch, Canadian and South African Local Government Associations to look at how resources can be shared and coordinated to support local government in Zimbabwe as effectively as possible.

Local government in Zimbabwe has responsibility for key services including including water, sanitation, waste management, health care, providing essential infrastructure, and the promotion of local economic development. As more than 70 per cent of councillors were elected to local government for the first time at the most recent local government elections in 2008, councillor and officer training, including exposure to experiences from other countries,  were seen as a major issue. Participants also identified the need for support to fill skills gaps and to deal with skills shortages, access to funding, possibly via a revolving fund, to repair existing and to replace infrastructure, and support for local government to play a role in conflict management and mitigation in their communities.

International donors active in Zimbabwe joined the discussions on the second day of the workshop to hear about the main outcomes of the discussions and comment on areas where they might be able to provide support.

Recognising the important role of local government and the need to support democracy at the grassroots., ZILGA, CLGF, LGA and other partners will be following up their recommendations by completing a number of concept notes for future support.

Speaking at the opening of the roundtable, CLGF Secretary-General Carl Wright said:

“We hope that this roundtable will see a clear focus on the key role which Zimbabwe local government has in the economic, social and political development of the country. We look forward to working with our international development partners to realise the objectives agreed here in Harare.”

ZILGA Secretary-General Francis Duri said:

“Now is the time to strengthen local, regional and international partnerships for Zimbabwean local authorities to improve service delivery through shared experiences and resources. ZILGA organised this roundtable to seek a common strategy for strengthening the capacity of local authorities and local government associations to deliver on their mandates for the benefit of poor communities that are often marginalised in decision making.”