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Local government weekly update
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
November 26, 2007

In the past week CHRA focused more on the 2008 City of Harare budget consultations. CHRA mobilized its members to participate in the ongoing budget consultations by the Commission running the City of Harare. The participation will however be meant to send a message that the commission is illegal and has no mandate to budget on behalf of residents. The budget making process is flawed as the Commission is already implementing the proposed rates.

In view of the local governance situation CHRA reports deterioration in the electricity power situation in Harare. Most suburbs continue to be hit by daily power cuts, a situation that has made life difficult. Residents around Mount Pleasant report daily cuts while Mbare reports daily 15 hour power cuts. Generally, most residential suburbs continue to report deterioration in the power situation. This is however in contrast to reports by ZEDC (Power Company) that over 28 million United States dollars in debt had been paid resulting in increases in power supplies. CHRA will continue to monitor the power situation to see if there are any improvements.

The water situation has also worsened especially in Mabvuku and Tafara. Some areas that were receiving erratic supplies of bi-weekly are reporting that there has been no water in the past week. The current rains will not improve the situation as the water problems result from shortages in purification chemicals. ZINWA has no financial capacity to purify sufficient water to cater for the residents in Harare. The City of Bulawayo has threatened to decommission one of the dams supplying Bulawayo owing to low levels of water. The rain situation is expected to improve the water supply in Bulawayo.

The waste management system in the City of Harare continued on a downward trend. There are numerous reports of uncollected refuse in most parts of Harare. More reports are coming from Mbare, Glen View and Kuwadzana. Residents fear that there might be disease outbreaks as the rain season has started in earnest.

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