By Staff Reporter
The City of Kwekwe erupted in celebration on Friday as residents, business leaders, and government officials gathered to honour Town Clerk Dr Lucia Mkandhla, who was recently awarded the 2024 Presidential Best Performing Town Clerk for Urban Local Authorities.
The prestigious recognition, conferred by the Office of the President and Cabinet, celebrates excellence in local governance and service delivery. The award was presented in line with national performance benchmarks set under President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s “No Compromise to Service Delivery” blueprint.
Delivering his keynote address at the celebrations, Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Owen Ncube, hailed Dr Mkandhla’s leadership as transformative.
“The award attributed to the sound performance by the City Council illustrates commendable teamwork, resourcefulness, and a desire to be the best-run urban local authority in Zimbabwe and the southern region by 2030,” said Minister Ncube.
He commended the city for aligning its development agenda with Vision 2030, noting progress in infrastructure development, e-governance, drug rehabilitation programmes, and investment attraction.
“Under Dr Mkandhla’s leadership, Kwekwe has become a beacon of urban transformation, attracting the highest number of investors and recording the highest GDP growth among rural provinces,” he added.
The city’s achievements include the Amaveni Drug Rehabilitation Centre — the only public sector-run facility of its kind in Zimbabwe — road rehabilitations, ICT upgrades, solar lighting installations, and expanded water and sewer reticulation systems in residential areas.
Kwekwe Director of Works John Mhike provided context on the award criteria, noting the Office of the President and Cabinet annually assesses local authorities based on improved corporate governance, water and sanitation, public safety, environmental management, and service delivery.
“Kwekwe scored high in all these areas, including consistent clean water provision, well-maintained infrastructure, and enhanced public safety. Dr Mkandhla has transformed the city into a flowery, aesthetic urban hub with multi-million-dollar investments across industrial and residential sectors,” he said.
Local businessman Themba Musekiwa praised the city’s leadership for attracting investment and maintaining clean, functional infrastructure.
“We can not be compared to other towns. Kwekwe has water 95% of the time, and new buildings show that investors have confidence in the city. As the business community, we are grateful,” he said.
Other stakeholders including former councillors, SME representatives, church leaders, and residents also showered Dr Mkandhla with praise for her visionary leadership and dedication to inclusive development.
Dr Mkandhla, who has also received accolades such as Business Transformation Leader of the Year 2022 and Outstanding Female CEO of the Year 2023, was described as a unifier who blends emotional intelligence with technical skill to drive progress.
“We are all winners through collective efforts from government, the community, and the private sector,” Minister Ncube said in closing, urging residents to continue supporting development by paying their rates and participating in governance.
