Zimbabwe: Harare’s 2026 Budget – a Tale of Two Cities

As a development practitioner, looking at the Harare City Council proposed budget is like reading a document that lays bare the city’s challenges, ambitions and its underlying social contract.

It’s not just a list of prices; it’s a story about who pays for the city and what they get in return.

The city council is essentially arguing that this budget is necessary to fund critical services and infrastructure. From their perspective, the positives are holding the Line on Core Levies, targeting…