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Summary report of Highfields residents' meeting, CJ Community Hall
Harare Residents Trust (HRT)
February 13, 2010

In attendance:

  • Mabvuku residents' Trust Leadership
  • Harare East residents' Trust leadership
  • Warren Park Residents' Leadership
  • Mbare Residents' leadership
  • Glen Norah B' Residents Leadership
  • uwadzana Residents Leadership
  • Mabelreign Residents' Leadership
  • Board of Trustees Chairperson- Emilia Chakatsva
  • Precious Shumba, HRT Coordinator
  • Fullard Gwasira, ZESA Holdings
  • Shepherd Mandizvidza, ZESA Holdings
  • Highfield Legal Centre

Highfield: AN attempt by a Councillor here to split the nearly 400 residents' along partisan lines flopped when residents vehemently resisted and demanded that the councillor should account for his alleged involvement in the displacement of residents from their residential places and his alleged failure to represent their interests in council.

Ward 25 Councillor, Silas Machetu attempted to ride on the historical polarisation between parties in the Inclusive Government, based on the presence of residents in the audience he suspected of being his political opponents.

Residents wanted to know the council's policy on houses belonging to the council, and asked why council officials and councillors were at the forefront of trying to replace the sitting tenants without due regard to justice. Serious allegations of complicity in the repossessions of council houses were levelled against the councillors, in particular Councillors Maxwell Katsande (Ward 26) and Machetu. Katsande left in a huff after failing to stomach the criticism. Ward 24 Councillor Job Mbadzi was also in attendance and promised to cooperate with residents.

The Harare Residents' Trust (HRT) specifically invited the councillors to provide them with an opportunity to update residents on the programmes of the City of Harare and also to respond to issues of concern affecting their constituents. However, following brief speeches by the HRT Chairperson, Emilia Chakatsva and the Coordinator Precious Shumba, Councillor Machetu misread the situation. Instead of providing information to residents, he went on the defensive, clouding his focus and thinking with his emotions, making partisan statements.

Residents immediately reacted by booing him and asking him to explain his role in the raised matters. Unable to handle the sudden demand for personal accountability, Councillor Machetu walked out, making all kinds of allegations, ranging from being his political opponents, fools and to being ignorant people. Outside, angry residents berated him for being childish, disrespectful, and incompetent. The Highfield Residents' Trust leadership attempted to control him but he left only to return 20 minutes later, calmer. He was then given a second chance and he promised to work with residents and cooperate on their issues.

HRT Issues: By Mrs Emilia Chakatsva (Board Chairperson) and Precious Shumba (Coordinator)

  • Women constitute 52 percent of the total population but were inadequately represented in the City of Harare, where only five of the 46 elected councillors are women.
  • The residents and service providers should engage and find best alternatives to improve the lives of residents. This is in line with the HRT vision of engaging all stakeholders in the development of the City.
  • Elected representatives and council employees are not bosses of residents but merely servants who must satisfy the expectation of the electorate.
  • Councillors should be accommodative of divergent interests groups and must guard against corruption and personalising council business.
  • Party supporters of the councillors' choices should not be given special treatment in council's casual jobs.
  • The HRT is concerned with the involvement of councillors in the recruitment of labour force, perpetuating the culture of patronage entrenched during the past under a one-party system. Every ratepayer should have an equal chance of working for the City of Harare without partisan bias, through a system of advertising at District Offices about any arising vacancies.

ZESA Issues: Mr Fullard Gwasira (Communications and Head of Public Relations)

  • Power stations around the country were built between 1944- 1957 targeting a population of less than one million people.
  • ZESA tolerates no corruption but aware that some of their employees connive with members of the community to demand money from residents in areas where power outages have occurred.
  • The national power utility has lost qualified personnel due to the economic hardships in the country.
  • The population has drastically increased yet there is no corresponding upgrading of ZESA power generation capacity, leading to frequent load shedding.
  • Vandalism has significantly contributed to the power outages across the country. There is need to educate citizens around issues of securing their power infrastructure.
  • ZESA now improving on billing. They had always relied on estimate readings which led to astronomical bills. Balance brought forward on bills indicated the amount owing from the previous months.
  • ZESA will work with the residents across Harare to provide all necessary information whenever they are invited. This partnership should be strengthened.

Residents' Feedback:

  • Their elected councillors have all purchased vehicles, yet their allowances were around US$150
  • Councillors are engaged in corrupt activities.
  • There is no refuse collection yet residents are paying monthly rates for once a week refuse collection.
  • Residents want title to their houses.
  • Investigations must be carried out to establish how the councillors in Highfield and senior council employees have conducted their business, with regards repossession of council houses where some tenants are living. This affects mostly residents in Highfield's Geneva.
  • There is need to know what the City of Harare is doing.
  • A resident had her house ownership changed to another person without her knowledge Need more meetings to share information and understand residents' rights.
  • Councillor need to be genuinely concerned with the welfare of residents and not to look after their own political and personal interests.
  • It was apparent that the councillors in Highfield failed to convene budget consultative meetings before the councillors went on to vote together with other councillors on 30 November 2009 to adopt the 2010 City Budget.

NB: If you need further information about the Highfield issues, please contact Eddington Mugova, the Secretary of Highfield or Aleck Rusere, the Chairperson on 0733 371 474 and 0912 971 384 respectively.

Contact Info
0912 869 294, 0733 252 622, 0733 296 806 or email us on hretrust@yahoo.com or hretrust79@gmail.com

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