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Commission term renewal calculated to buy time
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
August 06, 2007

RESIDENTS of Harare must be a very frustrated lot. The thought of us going for another six months under another bunch of commissioners is another setback that has to be dealt with. We in the Combined Harare Residents' Association (CHRA) believe that the timing of the re-appointment of the Commission was meant to avoid elections by the regime.

The illegal term of this commission ended on 9 June 2007 but Chombo was fully aware that it was going to be difficult to run Harare from 9 December until the time of the local government elections.

The citizens of Harare need not be fooled by this hypocrite called Michael Mahachi who has come in as the replacement for the ousted Makwavarara. What he tells us about the mayoral Mansion is nothing new. His predecessors Executive Mayor Engineer Elias Mudzuri and Commissioner Sekesai Makwavarara also indicated at the time of their appointment that they would not be staying in the mansion but soon found the mansion irresistible, and unashamedly moved in.

Mahachi is loudmouth who just felt he needed to say something to the media. His conscience tells him that he is there to serve the interests of the collapsing Zanu PF in Harare. He has outlined a programme of action that prioritises housing. CHRA is fully aware of the pitfalls of such a programme, even when the intention is good.

So far there is nothing legal that Mahachi and his fellow puppets will enunciate on behalf of the City of Harare. The commission's re-appointment was in itself an exercise in futility. On 2 March 2007 Justice Lawrence Kamocha ruled that the commission is illegal and cannot act on behalf of the City of Harare.

CHRA continues to demand the immediate restoration of legitimate authority to manage the resources of Harare in line with court judgments listed below:

• High Court, Hungwe J. HH 210/2001 (CHRA and Another vs. RG),
• HH 80/ 2005 Makarau J (Christopher Magwenzi Zvobgo vs. City of Harare and Dominic Muzawazi)
• Sandura J (Stevenson vs. Minister of Local Government and Others SC 38/02) and HC12862/00,
• Justice J. Chinengo-HH24-2002, and Justice Kamocha ruling -HH 13-2007/ HC5604/06 (Nomutsa Chideya vs. City of Harare, the eight commissioners and the probe team that recommended Chideya's dismissal).
• High Court, Uchena J, H/C 6350/06 AND H.H 41-2007

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