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Residents in dialogue with service providers
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
September 11, 2008

The residents of Mabvuku held a successful Dialogue Group meeting with the various stakeholders in social service delivery. The meeting was facilitated by CHRA under the Grassroots Advocacy Initiative project which aims at generating public response to the local governance challenges that are being faced in Harare. The meeting came as a result of the resolution that was made by the CHRA leadership in Mabvuku and Tafara where the local CHRA Committees agreed to engage in dialogue all stakeholders concerned with social service delivery.

The stakeholders that were present include the residents of Mabvuku and Tafara, CHRA, City of Harare's Department of Works and Department of Community Services, the councilors for Wards 19, 20, 21 and 46, representatives from the various churches in Mabvuku-Tafara, Vendors and a representative from ZINWA. Issues that were discussed are as follows:

• The current water crisis in Mabvuku-Tafara (the District Offices in Tafara have not received water supplies for the past five years).
• The unclean water that is being provided to residents (though on rare occasions) due to the shortage of water treatment chemicals at ZINWA.
• ZINWA's inconsistent billing systems and the exorbitant water charges to residents who seldom receive water supplies.
• The informal dumping sites that have emerged in the area as a result of the City of Harare's failure to collect refuse.
• Residents' options in dealing with the above mentioned issues.

The meeting attendees made the following resolutions:

• Residents present agreed that they will mobilize every Mabvuku-Tafara resident to boycott paying water bills to ZINWA because there are no water supplies.
• Residents will, with the help of CHRA consult the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights on the legal course of action to take against ZINWA.
• The councilors pledged to engage the ZINWA senior officials so that a lasting solution can be found.
• The Zimbabwe Environmental Laws Association pledged to assist residents in their engagement with ZINWA.
• It was also resolved that the residents of Mabvuku-Tafara will embark on a clean-up campaign on the 20th of September 2008 to remove the informal dumping sites in the area. The mayor of Harare pledged his support for the campaign.

The Combined Harare Residents Association is currently in the process of facilitating Dialogue Group meetings of this nature in Kuwadzana, Glen Norah, Glenview, Budiriro and Highfield.

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