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The constitutional outreach program kick starts - Residents'
Updates
Harare Residents
Trust (HRT)
June 25, 2010
Comment
The constitutional
outreach program, being led by the Constitutional Parliament Select
Committee (COPAC) reportedly got underway on Monday 21 June 2010,
accompanied by administrative chaos. Citizens are expected to freely
express their views on the content of the final constitutional draft.
Without doubt a constitution is a significant contributor to the
attainment of peace, prosperity and development of any nation. The
constitutional
reform exercise was long overdue. The Harare Residents'
Trust (HRT) embraces diversity of opinions. Residents have endured
three decades of misgovernance, corruption and social upheavals
as a direct result of the absence of a reliable constitutional document
to protect the peoples' liberties. The local government framework
in Zimbabwe gives to much powers and authority to the Minister of
Local Government, Rural and Urban Development and local authorities,
compromising on quality service provision and representation by
elected representatives. In this exercise residents have an opportunity
to have their issues addressed. There is need for local government
to be constitutionalised. Ineffective representatives have to be
recalled even before the expiry of their five-year terms of office.
The HRT urges all citizens to go in their numbers to the venues
of the outreach programs to demand accountability and adherence
to the rule of law. Responsible authorities have to protect the
citizens against violent elements of our community who do not believe
in a plural society where everyone is supposed to be equal before
the law. In this issue find below current developments and trends
in the administration of Harare;
Service
Delivery
- Residents
of Harare have expressed concerns and the increase of rates and
rentals despite lack of corresponding services. For example in
Glen Norah residents received bills showing current balances of
around US$200. This is similar in all suburbs where there is an
outcry over huge bills. The city of Harare has been complaining
that the residents are not paying their bills. While acknowledging
this situation they have dismally failed to respond to this anomaly.
Instead of reducing rates they have increased them effective 1
June in line with their 2010 imposed budget. What this means is
that the little revenue they are earning from rates and rentals,
will further dwindle, considering the economic challenges residents
are experiencing. The city of Harare has been sending letters
requesting defaulting residents to come forward and agree on payment
plans. The HRT finds this disturbing. Residents have been failing
to pay due to low incomes of less than US$200, from which they
have to buy food, pay rates and rentals, send children to school,
the extended family and cater for other essential expenses. Those
surviving on vending and other informal trades face constant harassment
from Municipal police. Against all this evidence that point to
underperforming economy and poor service provision. What apparently
aches residents are the huge salaries paid to the city's'
heads of departments ranging from US$10 000 to US$15000. Salaries
are reportedly taking up almost 70 percent of total income of
council. Of this, senior personnel are allegedly taking up over
50 percent. Following the disclosure of the greedy figures informed
sources alleged that a decision was taken to split the huge figures
to pay them every fortnight to avoid negative press ad internal
criticisms. City employees in the lower grades allege that there
is rampant corruption and nepotism. The employees are disgruntled
that while their salaries take more than one month to be paid
out; the heads of departments receive theirs on time all the time.
- Refuse
Collection: The City of Harare has tried very hard to
do something about refuse collection. But there is still more
that needs to be done in terms of area covered, the schedules
rather than focusing on public places only.
-
Representation by elected representatives: The HRT has
completed a study into the performance of elected representatives
in Harare. The findings are revealing, and will be most useful
to policy makers, civil society and the general public.
Membership
to the HRT
Pay US$1 per
year to the Treasurer of your Residents' Committee in your
suburb. The HRT has standard receipt books for your convenience.
If there is
no residents' committee in your area, you do the following;
1. Bring together
at least 12 people, who are not political activists, in your suburb
drawn from different areas.
2. Call any of the numbers given below and invite them to come to
your area for a brief induction on the HRT way of doing things.
3. An interim committee, which will serve for at most three months,
is established.
4. After the three months, public elections are conducted by the
Board of Trustees and the Membership Committee of the Residents'
Council.
5. A substantive committee is then formed and you are already a
part of the HRT family of suburban structures, independent from
each other.
Benefits
of being an HRT member
- Collective
advocacy and lobbying to service providers and policy makers
- Education
on rates, services and citizens' rights.
- Free legal
assistance and references in cases of trouble.
- We provide
you with information on residents issues, council services,
- You become
part of a bigger family of the residents' movement
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
Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website.
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