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Executive Summary of CHRA stakeholders meeting
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
May 04, 2005

http://www.chra.co.zw/viewinfo.cfm?id=71&linkid=3&siteid=1

Combined Harare Residents Association convened a stakeholders’ meeting at the Anglican Cathedrall Hall on 04 May 2005. The Association is member based and champions the enhancement of civic participation in local government through representing residents and advocating for effective, transparent and efficient service delivery through a transparent, non-partisan basis. Delegates who attended the public meeting represented a cross section of Harare society, namely the civic society, ordinary residents, public servants, members of parliament, Harare City Council employees and former Harare City Councillors.

Advertising for the meeting was done through flyers and the Internet. 85 delegates attended. The broad aims of the public meeting were:

• To discuss the Harare City Council Budget
• To explore alternative sources of income for the city – a discussion on the state of property in the city.
• To discuss the problems being faced by residents in service delivery and to come up with tangible solutions for the community.
• To assess the impact of the economic downturn on the provision of services in the city.

Strategic breakthroughs The public meeting provided residents with an opportunity to discuss important issues relating to governance in Harare.

Service Delivery
Ageing equipment plagues the city. Basic amenities are not being provided for adequately. Residents in Mabvuku and other eastern suburbs such as Greendale and Msasa have had perennial water shortages because the pumping capacity at Morton Jaffray Water Works is insufficient. Current water sources are severely polluted. Council needs to purchase more water chemicals or find an alternative water source as a matter of urgency. Central Government has had a project for the establishment of an alternative water source since 1998 but it has not been implemented.

Refuse is not being collected as often, leaving residents with an ominous task of disposing of excess waste at the risk of being infected. The lack of service has bred a lot of rats in some areas; Residents fear that there will be a disease outbreak.

Residents resolved to recommend that the proposed 2005 budget take cognisance of the residents’ concerns. The lack of service delivery currently obtaining in most parts of the city cannot be justified by astronomical rates increases. The participation of residents in the decision making process should be speeded up to engrain a sense of ownership in the process.

Community representation in the Harare City Council
Community representation in local government affairs suffers because the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing continues to have overbearing power on local government operations. The Minister’s conduct has frustrated councillors and made the residents’ voice redundant. In particular, the Minister has imposed a commission to run the city indefinitely, dismissed the elected Mayor of Harare and also dismissed a hoard of councillors in the city for alleged insubordination. He has denied residents the right to freely choose their representatives by postponing local council elections in 2005 and refusing to dialogue on the amendment of the Urban Councils Act to echo residents’ calls for increased participation.

Residents resolved to recommend acts of civic disobedience to challenge the continued interference. The proposed action will include, but is not limited to, the boycotting of the payment of rates in protest. It will also involve taking legal action against the commission should it seek to extend its tenure after June 9 2005.

Civic Participation
Civic Participation in local governance faces constant threat from a relentless regime bent on making residents second-class. Council is insincere in its call for stakeholder engagement in civic affairs. Council does not recognise individual voices in municipal development. Council has become more answerable to the Ministry than it is to the residents.

The Association will give residents a collective voice to raise their concerns. The Association has responded to the community needs by restructuring itself in order to accommodate all members in their individual capacity. Members will be drawn from all wards in Harare, with representatives electing to create branches chaired by representatives who form part of CHRA’s executive. This will ensure that residents have a strong voice.

CHRA Action Plan
The Association was compelled by the meeting to address the following issues:

• Send in residents’ objections to the 2005 Harare City Council on 5 May 2005.
• Mobilise other residents to send in their objections to the budget before 09 May 2005
• Organise the participation of residents in acts of civic disobedience to compel council to take immediate action on residents’ concerns over service delivery
• Use legal action to challenge the imposition of a Commission by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.
• Facilitate the creation of specific community tasks to boost interaction between residents and council on specific issues.

Visit the CHRA fact sheet

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