ABSTRACT Devolution of power to regional governments is a dominant political issue. In pursuit of this paradigm, Zimbabwe enshrined regional governments in the Constitution. Deontological and consequentialist perspectives underpinning devolution view regional governments as vehicles for deepening democracy and promoting development. This stems from the potential of regional governments to harness local resources and stimulate robust public participation. Using a desktop review, the paper examines (a) the feasibility and efficacy of regional governments in promoting socio-economic and political transformation and (b) delays in the creation of regional governments in terms of the constitution. The analysis reveals that the development of regional governments in Zimbabwe is mired in constitutional ambiguity emanating from a vague definition of their purpose and funding. In the same context, the pro-unitary Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) government is opposed to devolution viewing the concept, albeit conveniently, as a secessionist principle that carries the baggage of federalism.