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Harare city council must be accountable and deliver services
Harare Residents Trust (HRT)
June 09, 2010

The Harare City Council should not try and defend itself against genuine concerns raised by the residents. Instead the local authority must be held accountable for its activities and programs. According to minutes of an Ordinary Council meeting held at Town House on Tuesday 27th of April 2010 at 6.05 pm, the Council expressed concern at the failure of their Public Relations Department to rebut negative media coverage.

On Page 12 of the Minutes, the Council noted that the Harare Residents Trust (HRT) allegedly publicised periodic statements which were not supportive of the Council. The Council reiterated the need for Residents Associations to work closely with the Council in resolving problems being faced by the residents. The HRT has a standing policy to engage all stakeholders including the Harare City Council. On 15 March 2010, representatives of the HRT board and its residents Council met Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda in his office to deliberate on various issues around service delivery and representation by elected representatives. Against all expectations, the Mayor came by himself to the meeting. The HRT had expected to see the Mayor and his executive to respond to the issues given to them in advance.

Or if this was too much to ask for, at least the Mayor should have been accompanied by his personal assistant or the secretary to note the legitimate concerns which were raised in that meeting. In my view the Mayor has neglected to inform his deputy Councillor Emmanuel Chiroto or the Town Clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi and the whole council about the proceedings of this fundamental meeting, which covered numerous issues.

The HRT has demonstrated commitment to engage service providers and elected representatives at the grassroots level by inviting all stakeholders to attend residents' public meetings.

The City of Harare should resist the temptation to transform itself into a private enterprise run by paranoid leaders who fear slight reminders of their obligations. The Council cannot seek to control and manipulate the behaviour of residents' bodies. What they need to do is to ensure quality service provision, guaranteeing the residents; descent accommodation, regular refuse collection, safe drinking water and other such services as provided for in the Urban Councils' Act (Chapter 29:15).

Most importantly, the mandate bestowed on the City of Harare is not the creation of the Harare Residents' Trust or any other interest groups but an expectation provided for in the Urban Councils' Act, Part XXI of the Second Schedule which defines the Council's power and its mandates.

The minutes quoted above indicate that the Council devoted their time, at the expense of the ratepayer, to find fault with the media and other interest groups that have a mandate to inform and educate the citizenry. The media- private or public have a role to scrutinise the actions of public enterprises. The media has the right to inform the public about positive and negative activities and programs within a public utility.

Residents' bodies have a mandate derived from the residents, who pay their hard earned money in monthly rates and rentals, to evaluate and monitor local authorities. The electorate expects an improvement in their living conditions. They want to pay affordable rates for services actually rendered. The complaint of the Council against the HRT for doing what residents' expect them to is a fruitless attempt to silence the genuine advocacy for accountability, transparency and promotion of good governance at Town House.

Under the prevailing socio-economic situation, the Council must institutionalise accountability and satisfy the expectations of the electorate. Whatever commendable work they have done, they should not expect the HRT to pamper them because that is what is expected of them.

For details and comments please contact the Harare Residents' Trust (HRT) on +263 912 869 294, +263 733 296 806 or email us on hretrust@yahoo.com/ hretrust79@gmail.com

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