Villagers Bulilima and Mangwe districts in Matabeleland South continue to travel to Plumtree Town to access basic government services, a situation attributed to stalled infrastructure development, budgetary constraints and poor planning.
This is despite long-standing government promises to decentralise services under the national devolution policy.
This has sparked growing concern among local leaders and community members, who say the lack of progress not only undermines service delivery but also exacerbates poverty in already marginalised rural communities.
Former Plumtree Town Council chairperson alderman Paulos Vini Hobane, said the government approved the establishment of service centres in Bulilima and Mangwe years ago.
However, these centres remain non-functional due to the absence of critical infrastructure.
“People from Bulilima and Mangwe are still travelling to Plumtree Town to access essential services because there is a lack of infrastructure at their designated service centres, which were long approved by the government as part of implementing the devolution policy,” Hobane said.
“This hampers development in these centres and in the districts at large.”
He pointed to the collapse of the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP), which once supported local authority development, as a major contributor to the stagnation.
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“The major challenges include budgetary constraints,” Hobane said.
“The PSIP, which sustained the viability of local authorities, no longer exists.
“On top of that, local authorities lack borrowing powers to fund development.”
He said the burden placed on residents, who must travel long distances for basic services like birth and death certificates, passport applications, and medical care, has left communities disillusioned.
“If people have to travel such long and expensive journeys just to access basic services, it clearly reflects a total lack of development,” he said.
“These communities are living in poverty and are dissatisfied.”
Plumtree Town Council chairman and current Ward 6 councillor, Similo Ndlovu, also highlighted infrastructure deficits as the main reason why essential services remain concentrated in Plumtree.
“Essential services, such as banks, funeral parlours, the District Hospital and registry offices, are all found in Plumtree Town,” Ndlovu said.
“That’s due to limited infrastructure in Bulilima and Mangwe. Until these two RDCs [Rural District Councils] have similar institutions, people will continue coming to Plumtree.”
While the government has disbursed some devolution funds, Ndlovu said the resources were inadequate and often eroded by inflation before they can be effectively utilised.
“Local authorities do appreciate government efforts, but the funds are simply not enough.
“They also come late, and by the time they arrive, hyperinflation has already affected their value.”
Ndlovu added that many councils were financially constrained, partly due to struggling ratepayers and weak revenue bases.
“Ratepayers in rural areas often lack disposable incomes, which makes it difficult for councils to meet budgetary obligations,” he said.
“This weakens our ability to drive development.”
He also criticised the continued centralisation of high-value services such as vehicle licensing and passport processing.
“These services are potential revenue sources, but they remain centralised, depriving local authorities of income,” Ndlovu added.
“This centralisation also delays service delivery due to bureaucracy.”
Despite the hurdles, the council boss said there were ongoing efforts to relocate administrative services to Ingwizi in Mangwe and Madlambudzi in Bulilima.
Former Bulilima district administrator, Ethel Moyo, confirmed that most services remain centralised in Plumtree, as the proposed district centres — Ingwizi for Mangwe and Masendu for Bulilima — are not yet fully equipped.
“The local authorities are still housed in Plumtree, and everything is centralised.
“There is an urgent need to decentralise some services,” Moyo said.
She added that delays in funding and poor prioritisation by local authorities have further weakened devolution efforts.
“From what I observed during my time, Mangwe has made some efforts, a few lower-level staff are now based in Ingwizi but I am not sure about Bulilima.
“The disbursement of funds is inconsistent and sometimes doesn’t come at all.”
