Institutional Decay in Zimbabwe's Local Authorities: Insights from the Auditor-General' s Reports

Hardlife Zvoushe

doi:10.26458/jedep.v15i1.894

Autori

Hardlife Zvoushe University of Johannesburg

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26458/jedep.v15i1.894

Cuvinte cheie:

Institutional decay, local authorities, Zimbabwe

Rezumat

Abstract: Public sector organisations in Zimbabwe have been showing deepening signs of institutional decay over the years, characterised by a gradual erosion of effectiveness, integrity, and capacity. This paper specifically examines the pervasive issue of institutional decay within Zimbabwe’s local governments, utilising findings from the Auditor General’s (AG) reports. Evidence for demonstrating the occurrence of institutional decay was gathered using unobtrusive research techniques, mainly documentary analysis and reviews of publicly available reports of the Auditor-General. Findings indicate that institutional decay at the subnational tier of government is evident in widespread financial mismanagement, governance irregularities, and severe failures in service delivery. By synthesising the recurring audit observations, this paper demonstrates how these systemic deficiencies undermine the core functions of local authorities, leading to a significant disconnect between their mandate and their operational reality, ultimately impacting the well-being of citizens.

Referințe

Armah-Attoh, D., Gyimah-Boadi, E. & Chikwanha, A. B. (2007). Corruption and institutional trust in Africa: implications for democratic development. Working Paper No. 81. Afrobarometer. Available at: https://www.afrobarometer.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/AfropaperNo81.pdf (Accessed 07 July 2025).

Auditor General South Africa. (2022). Consolidated general report on local government audit outcomes. Auditor General South Africa.

Badze, A. & Shumba, F. (2024). Successes and challenges in implementing International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) in Zimbabwe: 2019 to date. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, 6(6), 1-9.

Buthelezi, A. & Dollery, B. (2004). An exploratory analysis of local government failure in South Africa. Journal of Studies in Economics and Econometrics, 28(2), 91-106.

Byrnes, J., Dollery, B. & Wallis, J. (2001). Local government failure in Australia: an empirical analysis of New South Wales. Working Paper Series in Economics. No. 2001-12.

Chirisa, I., Kawadza, S. T. & Muzenda, A. (2014). Unexplored elasticity of planning and good governance in Harare, Zimbabwe. International Review for Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development, 2(4), 19-29.

City of Harare. (2024). Council now owed more than ZWL$5 billion. Available at: https://hararecity.co.zw/news/read/council-now-owed-more-than-zwl5-billion (Accessed 14 July 2025).

Compagnon, D. (2011). A Predictable Tragedy: Robert Mugabe and the Collapse of Zimbabwe. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Damdinjav, M., Garcia, I., Lawson, E., Margolis, D. & Nemeth, B. (2013). Institutional failure in Kenya and a way forward. Journal of Political Inquiry, Spring Issue, 35-50.

Dollery, B. E. & Wallis, J. L. (1997). Market failure, government failure,

leadership and public policy. Journal of Interdisciplinary Economics, 8(2), 113-126.

Elsner, W. (2021). Collapse. Institutional decline and breakdown, its

endogeneity and its asymmetry vis-à-vis emergence: a theoretical frame.

Journal of Economic Issues, 55(1), 79-102.

Fukuyama, F. (2013). The decay of American political institutions. The American

Interest, 9(3). Available at: https://www.the-american-interest.com/2013/12/08/the-decay-of-american-political-institutions/ (Accessed 07 July 2025).

Government of Zimbabwe (GoZ). (2018). Vision 2030. Harare: GoZ.

Grant Thornton. (2023). Report: preventing failure in local government. Available at: https://www.grantthornton.co.uk/globalassets/1.-member-firms/united-kingdom/pdf/publication/2023/report-preventing-failure-in-local-government-_v08.pdf (Accessed 09 July 2025).

Herzog, L., Hindriks, F. & Wittek, R. (2024). How institutions decay: towards an endogenous theory. Economics & Philosophy, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266267124000208

Hough, M. & du Plessis, A. (Eds). State Failure: The Case of Zimbabwe. Pretoria: University of Pretoria.

Jonga, W. (2014). Local government system in Zimbabwe and associated challenges: synthesis and antithesis. Archives of Business Research, 2(1), 75-98.

Kanyenze, G. (2021). Leaving So Many Behind: The Link Between Politics and the Economy in Zimbabwe. Harare: Weaver Press.

Lindenberg, S. & Foss, N. J. (2011). Managing joint production motivation: the role of goal framing and governance mechanisms. Academy of Management Review, 36, 500-525.

Madhekeni, A. (2020). Dancing around the same spot: the elusive quest for devolution in Zimbabwe’s last four decades. In: Masunungure, E. (ed). Zimbabwe’s Trajectory: Stepping Forward or Sliding Back? Harare: Weaver Press & MPOI, pp. 336-360.

Marumahoko, S. (2020). Service delivery in the City of Mutare: a perspective from local residents. Theoretical and Empirical Research for Urban Management, 15(3), 81-95.

Marumahoko, S. (2023). Central-local relations in Zimbabwe: does the local matter? HKJU-CCPA, 23(3), 411-431. https://doi.org/10.31297/hkju.23.3.4

Marumahoko, S. (2024). Local government and the challenges of service delivery: Zimbabwe in the spotlight. Journal of Public Administration, Finance and Law, 31, 219-238.

Masunungure, E. V. (Ed.). (2020). Zimbabwe’s Trajectory: Stepping Forward or Sliding Back? Harare: Weaver Press & MPOI.

McClure, J. (2020). Health crises since independence. The Internationalist. V(I), 32-38.

Miao, D., Gillani, S., Abbas, H. S. M. & Zhan, H. (2023). Do institutional governance and state fragility affect institutional quality in Asian economies? Heliyon, 9(4), e15467.

Miller, S. (2017). Institutional Corruption: A Study in Applied Philosophy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Mlambo, A. S. (2017). From an industrial powerhouse to a nation of vendors: over two decades of economic decline and deindustrialisation in Zimbabwe 1990–2015. Journal of Developing Societies, 33(1), 99-125.

Mrewa, T. (2024). Pay up! BCC owed US$31m in unpaid rates. Available at: https://cite.org.zw/pay-up-bcc-owed-us31m-in-unpaid-rates/ (Accessed 14 July 2025).

Mupandanyama, T. & Mahlangu, K. (2023). Corruption in urban councils and its impact on service delivery. Journal of Ethics, Governance and Political Science, 1(1), 1-10.

Musarurwa, T. (2024). Harare City Council owed $1.5 trillion. The Sunday Mail. 24 March. Available at: https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/harare-city-council-owed-15-trillion/ (Accessed 14 July 2025).

Ntshakala, T. & Nzimakwe, T. I. (2017). Performance auditing as a mechanism for effective service delivery in South African local government. Public Administration and Development Alternatives, 2(1), 67-81.

Nyazema, N. Z. (2010). The Zimbabwe crisis and the provision of social services: health and education. Journal of Developing Societies, 26(2), 233-261.

Nyikadzino, T. (2024). Challenges of promoting ethical conduct in Zimbabwe’s local authorities: a thematic exposition. African Renaissance, 21(3), 361-380.

OAG. (2019). Report of the Auditor-General on the management of sewerage by urban local authorities under the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing. Harare: OAG.

OAG. (2021). Report of the Auditor-General for the financial year ended December 31, 2020 on local authorities. Harare: OAG.

OAG. (2023a). Value for money audit report by Auditor-General on the monitoring of devolution funded projects by Ministry of Local Government and Public Works. Harare: OAG.

OAG. (2023b). Report of the Auditor-General for the financial year ended December 31, 2022 on local authorities. Harare: OAG.

OAG. (2024). Report of the Auditor-General for the financial year ended December 31, 2023 on local authorities. Harare: OAG.

Resnick, D. (2014). Urban governance and service delivery in African cities: the role of politics and policies. Development Policy Review, 32(S1), S3-S17.

Sachikonye, L. (2012). Zimbabwe’s Lost Decade: Politics, Development & Society. Harare: Weaver Press.

Sachikonye, L. and Kaulemu, D. (eds). (2021). Zimbabwe @40: Development, Democracy and Transformation. Harare: Weaver Press.

Shongwe, B. R. & Meyer, D. F. (2023). Service delivery challenges within rural communities: the case of the Nkomazi Local Municipal Area. Administratio Publica, 31(2), 136-159.

Šipulová, K. & Kosař, D. (2023). Decay or erosion? The role of informal institutions in challenges faced by democratic judiciaries. German Law Journal, 24(8), 1577-1595.

Sithole, A. (2013). Corruption in Zimbabwean urban local authorities: a case of Gweru City Council. Asian Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 2(3), 26-33.

Staff Reporter. (2024). Harare City Council fails to pay workers. Harare Post. Available at: https://www.hararepost.co.zw/en/the-news/local-news/8292-harare-city-council-fails-to-pay-workers (Accessed 08 July 2025).

Stewart, F. and Brown, G. 2010. Fragile states. CRISE Overview, 3: June.

Sustainability Directory. (2025). Institutional decay. Available at: https://climate.sustainability-directory.com/term/institutional-decay/ (Accessed 04 July 2025).

Thornton, P. & Ocasio, W. (2008). Institutional logics perspective. In R. Greenwood, C. Oliver, T. B. Lawrence & Meyer, R. E. (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Organisational Institutionalism (pp. 99-129). SAGE Publications Ltd.

Uchena, T. (2019). Summarising findings and recommendations of the commission of inquiry into the matter of sale of state land in and around urban areas since 2005. Available at: https://ucaz.org.zw/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Justice-Uchenas-Presentation-of-Reports-to-the-President.pdf (Accessed 14 July 2025).

Weisbrod, B. A. (1978). Problems of enhancing the public interest: toward a model of governmental failures. In: Weisbrod, B. A., Handler, J. F. & Komesar, N. K. (eds.). Public Interest Law. London: University of California Press, pp.30-41.

ZEPARU. (2020). Policy brief: towards successful implementation of devolution in Zimbabwe. Harare: ZEPARU.