*Kwekwe sets the bar: Town Clerk wins top national award📰* *Article By:* Patrick Chitumba, Zimpapers Writer *Kwekwe News Bulletin* https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vadb1KKIiRoom1e73h2t KWEKWE City Council (KCC) recently earned national acclaim for its impressive strides in infrastructure development, waste management, and water supply. The city’s Town Clerk, Dr Lucia Mnkandla, was honoured with the 2024 President Mnangagwa Award for Best Town Clerk in Zimbabwe — a prestigious accolade recognising outstanding public service delivery. Kwekwe Mayor, Councillor Albert Zinhanga, also received national recognition, finishing as runner-up in the Mayors’ category for the second consecutive year. The national awards, spearheaded by the Government of Zimbabwe, celebrate excellence in public administration and service provision at the local government level. To mark Dr Mnkandla’s achievement, the Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Owen Ncube, officiated a celebration ceremony in Kwekwe over the weekend. The event was attended by city councillors, municipal management, business leaders, residents, and Government officials. In his address, Minister Ncube described the award as a reflection of sound leadership, teamwork, and the city’s ambition to become Zimbabwe’s most efficient urban local authority by 2030. “On behalf of the Midlands Province, and indeed on my own behalf, I extend heartfelt congratulations to Dr Mnkandla for receiving this coveted award. It recognises exceptional service delivery and aligns with the ‘No Compromise to Service Delivery’ blueprint launched by our results-driven leader, President Mnangagwa,” he said. He commended Dr Mnkandla’s transformational leadership, which he said blends technical expertise, emotional intelligence, team-building, and visionary execution in line with Vision 2030. He also highlighted her previous accolades, including Business Transformation Leader of the Year 2022 and Outstanding Female CEO of the Year 2023 (Gold Winner) at the Megafest Women’s Awards. Under Dr Mnkandla’s stewardship, Kwekwe has undergone a remarkable transformation. According to Minister Ncube, the city now boasts the highest number of new investors and the strongest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) among rural provinces, excluding Harare and Bulawayo. “The city’s ambience aligns with the Smart City Concept. It reflects improved road infrastructure, access to safe water, healthcare, clean streets, reliable refuse collection, and meaningful community engagement,” he said. Minister Ncube outlined several impactful projects implemented by Kwekwe City to improve service delivery. These include the construction of the Mbizo 15 Rates Hall and the establishment of the Amaveni Drug Rehabilitation Centre — the only public sector-run facility of its kind in the country. “The city has also procured a 30-seater minibus, various service vehicles, a front-end loader, a CAT grader, 10 skip bins, and a tipper truck. In terms of road rehabilitation, Kwekwe undertook major resurfacing and reconstruction works on Tangwena Road, Maunganidze Road, Cobar and Bessemer Roads at a total cost of US$422 000,” he said. He said the city has started constructing a perimeter wall for the town bus terminus, installed solar backup systems at both the Mbizo and Amaveni Rates Halls, and acquired IT equipment in line with the Government’s E-Governance strategy. “Additionally, the city constructed 4×4 classroom blocks at Mbizo 21 Primary School and is building Msasa Clinic. Solar-powered street lights and tower lights have been installed in Mbizo 10 and 15. Kwekwe is also working on the rehabilitation of water and sewer lines, filter beds, and valves, while also allocating residential stands to war veterans. “We’ve also completed repairs and procured solar equipment for existing boreholes in Mbizo 15. We’re exploring the connection of a water pipeline network via the Kwekwe Polytechnic side to address persistent water shortages. The water situation must improve,” he said. Minister Ncube encouraged other local authorities to emulate Kwekwe’s performance and adopt governance frameworks that promote community empowerment, transparency, and accountability under the Government’s devolution and decentralisation agenda. In her remarks, Dr Mnkandla attributed her award to collective effort. “This achievement is the result of teamwork from our management, staff, councillors, residents, and ratepayers. We are simply responding to the Call to Action and aligning our work with Vision 2030.”