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CHRA demands meeting with Mayor over the vehicles issue
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
August 31, 2009

The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) expresses its extreme displeasure over recent reports that the City Council has purchased expensive vehicles for two of its directors. The two vehicles are reported to have costed the residents up to USD 190 000. This comes after the Mayor defied the residents and went ahead to purchase a Mercedes Benz ML that saw the same residents forking out USD153 000. This means that the City Council has so far spent not less than USD353 000 on three vehicles only. Inquiries by CHRA indicate that USD 353 000 is enough to procure water treatment chemicals that can supply the entire city of Harare with clean water for almost half a year. A snap survey of water supply and availability in the city of Harare appears as follows; Masasa Park (once per week), Glen Lorne, Mandara, Greendale, Greystone park have had no water since January 2008; while Mabvuku and Tafara have been dry since 2007. Sunningdale receives filthy water.

The Combined Harare Residents Association has since written to the Mayor demanding a meeting over this issue by Thursday the 3rd of September 2009. Alternatively CHRA warns the City fathers of a massive residents' protest and a broad based rates boycott. Consultations to that end are already underway. CHRA remains committed towards cooperation with the City council to rebuild the City of Harare, but will certainly not hesitate to revert to the confrontational approach, should this be necessary to achieve the purpose of rebuilding Harare. Meanwhile CHRA continues to urge residents who have been threatened with legal action by council over unreasonable outstanding bills to approach the CHRA offices for assistance.

Visit the CHRA fact sheet

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