The City of Masvingo has emerged as the First Runner-Up in the Best Local Authority Exhibition category at the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo 2026, showcasing the city’s growing prominence as a leading tourism and investment destination in Zimbabwe.

The achievement is a significant milestone for Masvingo, which continues to position itself as a gateway to some of Zimbabwe’s most iconic cultural, historical and natural attractions.

The Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo brings together tourism authorities, local authorities, hospitality operators, tour operators, investors and other stakeholders from Zimbabwe and beyond, providing a platform for destinations to showcase their tourism products, investment opportunities and cultural heritage.

The City of Masvingo’s exhibition highlighted the city’s unique tourism potential and its strategic location within a province renowned for attractions such as the Great Zimbabwe National Monument, one of Zimbabwe’s most important cultural heritage sites.

The award reflects the city’s efforts to promote tourism, attract investment and strengthen partnerships within the tourism sector. It also demonstrates the importance of local authorities in driving destination marketing and sustainable tourism development.

The accolade comes at a time when Masvingo is seeking to leverage its rich cultural heritage, historical significance and proximity to major tourist attractions to stimulate economic growth and create opportunities for local communities.

The First Runner-Up position at the 2026 Sanganai/Hlanganani Tourism Expo is therefore more than an award for the City of Masvingo, it is a recognition of the city’s potential to become an increasingly competitive tourism destination while contributing to Zimbabwe’s broader tourism and economic development agenda.

The city is expected to build on this achievement by continuing to collaborate with tourism stakeholders, private-sector players and communities to promote Masvingo as a destination of choice for both domestic and international visitors.

The City of Masvingo has been recognised for its outstanding contribution to urban development and strategic communication at the Masvingo Community Trailblazers Awards, held today at Urban Lifestyle Hotel.

The City scooped two prestigious awards:

. Urban Infrastructure Modernisation & Smart City Vision and Development Champion

. Communication & Corporate Brand Stewardship Champion

The accolades recognise the City’s efforts towards modernising urban infrastructure, advancing smart city vision, strengthening development communication, and maintaining a strong and consistent corporate brand.

The recognition is a demonstration to the dedication of the City leadership, management and staff in driving sustainable urban development and improving service delivery for the people of Masvingo.

The City of Masvingo today joined the nation in the National Clean-Up Campaign, as part of its commitment to promoting a clean, safe and healthy urban environment.

The clean-up campaign was led by the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Masvingo Province, Hon. Ezra Chadzamira, with the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Hon. Barbara Rwodzi, also in attendance.

The campaign brought together Government departments, the local authority, business community, schools, residents and other stakeholders, demonstrating the importance of collective action in maintaining clean and sustainable communities.

The City of Masvingo continues to encourage residents and stakeholders to make cleanliness a daily responsibility and to support efforts towards a cleaner, greener and healthier Masvingo.

Clean City, Healthy Community, Proud Masvingo!

The City of Masvingo has officially concluded the review of its Master Plan with the signing ceremony marking the beginning of a new 20-year spatial development trajectory aimed at transforming the provincial capital into an inclusive, prosperous and sustainable city aligned with Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030.

The Master Plan signing ceremony brought together the Permanent Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Dr Pazvakavambwa councillors, the Town Clerk, Council management, the Lead Planner, government officials, business representatives, residents’ associations, people living with disabilities, the banking sector, transport operators, informal traders, the media and other key stakeholders.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Pazvakavambwa described the occasion as historic, noting that the Master Plan was more than a planning document, but a 20-year development blueprint that would shape the growth and development of Masvingo.

“Today we have not merely signed a document; we are setting in motion a twenty-year development trajectory that will shape how the City grows, how it serves its people, how it drives the provincial economy, and how it contributes to national aspirations under Vision 2030,” the Permanent Secretary said.

The Permanent Secretary commended the City of Masvingo leadership, Town Clerk, Lead Planner and Council team for successfully concluding the Master Plan review process in accordance with Section 16 of the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act [Chapter 20:12], while also embracing stakeholder participation.

The Master Plan is aligned to National Vision 2030, National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), sectoral policies and provincial development strategies, providing a spatial framework for future investment in land use, housing, industry, commerce, transport, social services and environmental management.

The Permanent Secretary emphasised that effective implementation of local development plans was critical to translating national aspirations into tangible outcomes.

“Without sound, implementable local plans, Vision 2030 will remain an aspiration on paper,” he said.

As the provincial capital, the City of Masvingo was described as a critical administrative, economic and service hub whose growth has a direct impact on the province’s economy, investment attractiveness, service delivery and overall image.

The Master Plan is expected to support the City’s role in catalysing tourism linked to Great Zimbabwe and the province’s natural heritage, anchoring agro-processing and agribusiness value chains, providing higher-order services and creating a marketplace for goods, labour and innovation.

The Permanent Secretary also highlighted the importance of strengthening the relationship between the City and its surrounding rural districts, particularly through improved transport connectivity, access to markets and services, water resource management, waste management, environmental protection and climate resilience.

The ceremony placed strong emphasis on inclusivity and participatory governance, with stakeholders having contributed to the Master Plan through public meetings, surveys, workshops, sectoral engagements and targeted outreach to vulnerable and marginalised groups.

The Permanent Secretary challenged all stakeholders who participated in the development of the plan to take ownership of its implementation.

“Development is not development if it excludes. A truly developmental city deliberately plans for everyone, every neighbourhood and every livelihood, ensuring that progress is shared,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary called on businesses to align investments with designated industrial and commercial zones, residents to comply with land-use regulations and building standards, informal traders to work with Council to regularise their operations, developers to comply with approved layouts and environmental requirements, and government ministries to align projects with the Master Plan.

He further noted that once approved and gazetted, the Master Plan would have the force of law, making compliance both a legal and developmental obligation.

It was noted that enforcement of the Master Plan should not be viewed as an impediment to development, but rather as a mechanism for protecting investments, residents, public infrastructure and future generations from the consequences of unplanned development.

There was a call for robust feedback mechanisms to support implementation, urging Council to establish and publicise suggestion boxes, hotlines, digital platforms and stakeholder review forums.

“When our people see that their concerns are heard and acted upon, they become more willing to participate; they become partners, not critics,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary further challenged the City to ensure that the national development mantra of “leaving no one and no place behind” is reflected in every aspect of implementation.

He urged Council to continuously assess how developments benefit women, youth, people living with disabilities, the elderly, low-income communities and residents of informal settlements, while ensuring that development is balanced between the city centre, high-density suburbs, peri-urban areas and emerging growth points.

For the Master Plan to achieve its objectives over the next 20 years, the Permanent Secretary called for the establishment of a comprehensive Integrated Results-Based Management (IRBM) framework.

Council was encouraged to develop clear implementation indicators and milestones, report regularly on progress and challenges, integrate Master Plan targets into departmental work plans, budgets and performance contracts, and undertake timely reviews where circumstances require adjustments.

Central Government, through the Provincial Affairs and Devolution Office and line ministries, pledged to support the City in strengthening planning, monitoring and implementation systems.

Speaking at the ceremony, the City of Masvingo Mayor, Cllr Aleck Tabe described the signing as a significant milestone marking the transition from the Master Plan review process to implementation.

He acknowledged the contribution of the Town Clerk, Lead Planner, Council management, stakeholders and the wider community towards completing the comprehensive review.

His Worship, the Mayor reaffirmed its commitment to diligently implement the Master Plan and review it regularly to ensure that its provisions remain responsive to changing community needs, economic developments, technological advances and environmental changes.

“Some initiatives will be directly implemented from the Master Plan, while for other provisions, we will proceed to prepare lower-level plans such as local development plans, priority plans, and subject-specific plans,” he said.

The City also called for strengthened partnerships with residents, businesses, government agencies and other stakeholders through public-private partnerships, responsible payment of municipal charges and active participation in municipal governance.

The City of Masvingo’s Master Plan is therefore set to serve as both a legal instrument and developmental blueprint, guiding spatial growth and investment while providing a social contract between Council, Government and the people

The City of Masvingo has commenced a comprehensive Systems Audit in collaboration with Government departments in the province as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen corporate governance, improve service delivery, and enhance accountability in line with the Government’s performance management framework and the Minimum Service Delivery Standards (MSDS).

The assessment, which evaluates the City’s governance, financial management systems, and service delivery performance, also reviewed progress made in implementing recommendations from the previous systems audit.

Among the notable achievements recorded since the last assessment is the reduction of Non-Revenue Water from 48% to 37% through the replacement of non-functional water meters and the implementation of District Metering Areas.

The City has also strengthened its customer feedback mechanisms by introducing WhatsApp communication groups for water, sewer, and waste management services, while a WhatsApp chatbot has been developed and is scheduled for launch by the end of August.

The Corporate Governance assessment highlighted significant progress, with the City scoring highly in several key areas. The assessment confirmed that the City’s Strategic Plan is fully aligned to the approved annual budget, departmental performance targets are clearly defined, and Municipal Service Delivery Standards have been integrated into planning and monitoring processes.

The audit further established that the City has 29 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) guiding operations across departments, while an active Internal Audit Unit continues to strengthen accountability through regular audits and implementation of corrective measures.

Council’s complaints handling system was also recognised as fully operational, with complaint registers available in all departments to ensure efficient recording and resolution of residents’ concerns.

As of 31 March 2026, the City had successfully implemented 58 out of 83 Council resolutions, representing a 70 percent implementation rate.

On organizational capacity, the audit noted that seven of the nine key executive positions are substantively filled, while acting arrangements remain in place for the Director of Engineering Services and the Director of Town Planning and Land Management. Recruitment for the Director of ICT is awaiting ministerial approval.

The Financial Management Systems assessment recorded outstanding performance across nearly all indicators. The City maintains updated valuation rolls, fully functional billing systems, regular monthly billing, timely revenue collection reporting, and robust debt recovery mechanisms.

Council also continues to produce financial statements within statutory deadlines, conducts monthly bank reconciliations, maintains secure ICT backup systems for financial information, and has implemented effective controls to prevent unauthorized expenditure.

The audit further acknowledged that all Council assets are adequately insured and that statutory obligations, including PAYE, NSSA and medical aid deductions, are consistently remitted.

In the area of service delivery, the City achieved several notable milestones. The assessment confirmed that 100 percent of the City’s 21,263 occupied properties have access to potable water, while every occupied property has a functional metered water connection. Water quality remains consistently high, with laboratory results indicating that 360 out of 363 monthly samples met World Health Organization standards.

Although the City currently supplies an average of 236 litres of water per person per day, the audit noted that demand continues to exceed available production capacity. Council is addressing this challenge through the installation of pressure regulation valves to improve distribution and increase hours of supply.

The sanitation system also performed strongly, with 99 percent of properties connected to the sewer network and an overall wastewater collection efficiency of 97 percent. Customer responsiveness remained exceptional, with 99.3 percent of reported sanitation complaints resolved during the assessment period.

Solid waste management also recorded encouraging results. Every occupied property receives door-to-door refuse collection services, with residential areas serviced weekly and the Central Business District receiving daily collections. Waste collection efficiency reached 96 percent, although the audit identified opportunities to strengthen waste segregation, recycling initiatives, and the development of a compliant sanitary landfill.

Road infrastructure continues to improve, with 100 percent of occupied properties having access to surfaced roads, while 77 percent of the City’s road network is in fair to very good condition. The City has also continued road marking and signage installation programs, although public lighting coverage remains an area requiring further investment.

Environmental management recorded positive outcomes, including the successful implementation of all 15 planned environmental awareness campaigns, compliance with Environmental Impact Assessment requirements for major projects such as the Sanganai/Hlanganani Expo infrastructure and the Truck Stop development, and effective management of veld fires within acceptable limits.

The Public Health assessment further demonstrated the City’s commitment to quality healthcare, with all Council clinics providing primary healthcare services and operating on the District Health Information System (DHIS2). Essential medicines remain available for most primary healthcare needs, while efforts continue to improve the availability of specialized medicines.

The systems audit is expected to provide Government with an objective assessment of the City’s operational effectiveness while guiding continuous improvements in governance, financial management and service delivery.

City of Masvingo Gender Desk recently organized a multi-stakeholder awareness program at Mucheke High School aimed at educating learners on the dangers of drug and substance abuse, teenage pregnancies and child marriages.

The engagement brought together various stakeholders working in the areas of child protection, gender equality, health, law enforcement and youth empowerment, creating a platform for learners to openly engage on social challenges affecting young people.

Among the stakeholders who participated were Musasa, My Age Africa, the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, the Victim Friendly Unit (VFU), BHASO and the City of Masvingo Junior Council.

The program focused on equipping learners with information that can help them make informed decisions and protect themselves from social risks that can negatively affect their education, health and future prospects.

Stakeholders highlighted the growing need for young people to understand the dangers associated with drug and substance abuse, including its potential impact on academic performance, behavior, relationships and overall wellbeing. Learners were encouraged to resist negative peer pressure and seek assistance whenever they encounter challenges relating to substance abuse.

The awareness program also placed emphasis on teenage pregnancies and child marriages, with stakeholders educating learners on the risks and long-term consequences of early pregnancy and early marriage, including disruption of education, economic vulnerability and exposure to various forms of abuse.

The Victim Friendly Unit provided information on child protection and mechanisms for reporting cases of abuse, while organizations such as Musasa and My Age Africa shared perspectives on protecting young people from violence, exploitation and harmful practices.

The participation of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development further strengthened the program’s focus on gender equality, empowerment and the protection of vulnerable groups.

Meanwhile, the City of Masvingo Junior Council provided an important youth perspective, reinforcing the importance of involving young people in addressing challenges affecting their peers and communities.

The City of Masvingo Gender Desk emphasized the importance of continued collaboration among stakeholders in creating safe and supportive environments where young people can access information, seek help and make positive choices.

Council will continue working with relevant stakeholders and schools to strengthen awareness programs aimed at safeguarding young people and ensuring that they have the opportunity to pursue their education and realize their full potential.

Preparations to host the 2026 Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo in Masvingo are gathering momentum as stakeholders intensify efforts to ensure the province delivers a memorable and world-class event.

Scheduled to take place from 9 to 12 September 2026, the prestigious tourism showcase is expected to attract thousands of local and international exhibitors, buyers, investors and visitors, positioning Masvingo as Zimbabwe’s tourism and investment capital during the exhibition period.

Work is progressing at the Gymkhana Events and Conference Centre, the main venue for the expo, where infrastructure development and venue preparations are well underway.

Various stakeholders, including Government ministries, the City of Masvingo, and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) are working together to ensure all logistical, infrastructural and service delivery requirements are met ahead of the event.

Hosting the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo presents a unique opportunity for Masvingo to showcase its rich cultural heritage, historical landmarks, wildlife and investment potential. The event is expected to stimulate economic activity across various sectors, including hospitality, transport, retail, arts and crafts, while creating employment opportunities and strengthening the province’s position as a leading tourism destination.

With preparations progressing steadily, City of Masvingo is poised to welcome the world and demonstrate why it remains the home of Zimbabwe’s rich heritage, warm hospitality and diverse tourism experiences.