Back to Index

Chombo's chaos
Caiphas Chimhete, The Standard (Zimbabwe)
Janaury 15, 2006

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/read.php?path=./news/2006/January/Sunday15/&st_id=583

THE government has created another "health time bomb" by relocating farmers and vendors from Mbare Musika to the City Sports Centre without adequately planning for the move, residents and traders told The Standard last week.

Following the death of 14 people from cholera a fortnight ago, the government panicked and immediately ordered farmers and vendors to relocate from Mbare Musika, where mud, piles of garbage and flies had colonised the area, creating a major a health hazard.

But the new site, close to Belvedere is unsuitable for trading activities and many people say Chombo has literary taken the hazard from Mbare to the city centre.

They fear the site could become a new breeding ground for various diseases, which could haunt the city centre, and nearby suburbs, particularly Belvedere and Ridgeview. Criminal activities can also be expected to rise.

When the site was opened for trading on Friday, the place was still surrounded by tall grass, had no toilets or refuse bins. It did not even have any makeshift structures for use by the traders.

On the same day, municipal workers were busy slashing the grass, clearly pointing to the haphazard nature of the relocation carried out by Local Government, Public Works and Urban Development Minister, Ignatious Chombo, who appears to have virtually taken over the running of Harare.

Arnold Jeki, who had ordered bananas to sell in Dzivarasekwa suburb, complained about litter that is already piling up because there are no rubbish bins.

Combined Harare Residents' Association spokesperson, Precious Shumba, said the move was an admission of failure by the authorities to plan ahead.

"It's too close to the city and what they have done is transfer the problem from Mbare to the city. What is happening now clearly shows that the commission is incapable of discharging its duties," said Shumba, who called for disbandment of the Sekesai Makwavarara-led commission running the City of Harare.

Chombo, who has fired many MDC councils, has extended the commission's term saying they were "doing a good job under difficult circumstances, secondly they have produced a turnaround strategy for the City of Harare..."

Old Ridgeview Residential Association spokesperson Moosa Hassan said: "I can see a rise in criminal activities and diseases in the area. Already there was a serious traffic jam this morning around 7AM. This thing was not planned."

Ridgeview residents will meet on Wednesday this week to discuss the way forward, he said.

Even the traders themselves were not impressed by the forced move from Mbare to the City Sports Centre.

Ambuya Hakata (63) from Marondera, who was selling vegetables and lemons, complained of low business, as there are no "kombis" that directly link the site with Harare's different residential suburbs.

From Mbare Musika, vendors were able to get transport direct to their different residential areas, making the whole process cheaper.

"Now that I have ordered my goods, I have to carry them into the city centre because pushcarts were banned in the city. I will have to get transport from Rezende Street to Chikurubi Maximum Prison," complained Jenina Sibanda, carrying a basket full of mangoes and tomatoes on her head.

The absence of sleeping rooms or a place to store their produce if they are not all bought during the day also worried the farmers.

Mary Gumbomunda from Rusape said: "Business here closes at 11AM and we don't have a place to keep our leftovers or even sleep. It means I will have to travel back to Mbare for the safe keep of my goods and sleep."

Some traders, who requested anonymity, said the commission running the affairs of Harare should be replaced by an elected council that is accountable to ratepayers.

"Makwavarara and company should just go because they have bungled not only in Mbare, but Harare as a whole," said one trader.

Makwavarara, a political turncoat who was handpicked by Chombo, chairs the commission.

"There is precedence already. I don't know if it does not apply here. (Solomon) Tavengwa (the late, former Harare Mayor) was fired after Harare had gone for five days without water but now 14 people have died and nothing has happened," said a customer, who identified himself only as Mike.

However, despite the mounting problem of water shortages, sewage and non-collection of refuse by council, the commission's term of office has been extended several times.

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP