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Chitungwiza residents report
Chitungwiza Residents' and Rate Payers Association (CHIRRA)
September 30, 2011

Executive Summary

Chitungwiza is one of the over populated cities in Zimbabwe. Chitungwiza Municipality has constantly come under heavy criticism from residents for poor service delivery. The roads are potholed, sewerage bursts are frequent and water shortages are spread out in the community. Some parts of Chitungwiza have gone for years without water. Other problems in the area include illegal structures which are clustered all over and inconsistent billing which has brought untold frustration and suffering to the rate payer. The Chitungwiza Residents' and Rate Payers Association (CHIRRA), a local pressure group formed by concerned residents in the area organized a public meeting to deliberate on service delivery issues affecting the town. CHIRRA was formed in 1999 as a pressure group between the residents of Chitungwiza and service providers such as the Chitungwiza Town Council and Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA). The focus of CHIRRA is to advocate for service delivery for the residents of Chitungwiza as well as ensuring that the residents are effectively represented at local governance level by elected councilors. CHIRRA organized a public meeting in collaboration with the Harare Residents' Trust (HRT) which covers the Harare Metropolitan Province that encompasses Chitungwiza, Norton, Ruwa, Epworth and Harare on 24 September 2011. The key objective of the meeting was to get issues affecting the residents in different areas of Chitungwiza for lobby and advocacy. The deliberations at the meeting and the issues raised are detailed in this report.

Facilitator: Mr. Arthur Taderera (CHIRRA Chairperson)

1.1. Opening Prayer: An opening prayer was given by a volunteer from the participants

1.2. Welcome Remarks

Taderera welcomed all the participants at the meeting and apologized for a late start to the meeting. He said that the meeting was supposed to have started at exactly 2pm but there were delays as the venue was occupied by another meeting. Taderera emphasized that a clear path should come out of the meeting on the issues affecting the community.

1.3. Service Delivery Concerns In Chitungwiza

1.3.1. Refuse Collection

Participants at the meeting indicated that they pay for refuse every month every month but refuse collection by the Chitungwiza Municipality is erratic. There is inconsistent refuse collection in some areas of Chitungwiza where residents go for weeks without hearing or seeing a refuse collection truck. This has caused a health threat to residents. Residents have resorted to using their backyards as dumping areas as a measure of dealing with uncollected garbage. There are ever increasing dumping sites in Chitungwiza which the municipality is failing to clear.

Residents expressed serious fear with the impending rain season.

Recommendations

• It was recommended that council clears all waste dumpsites
• Council should prioritize the procurement of refuse collection trucks in the 2012 budget.

1.3.2. Electricity Disconnections

Residents said that they have endured unexplained power cuts. To make the situation worse, ZESA employees have been disconnecting the wires from meter boxes to residents with outstanding bills. ZESA holdings have been demanding 50% down payment on debts as basis for being put on a payment plan. Residents lambasted ZESA's recent increment in electricity charges saying it was better if ZESA wholly disconnected Chitungwiza and only charge them when electricity delivery is guaranteed. They said that the increase is very high and the power supply situation in Chitungwiza remains erratic.

Recommendations

• Electricity bills should be reduced in line with people's income.
• Load shedding should be minimized given that ZESA has recently increased its tariffs.
• ZESA employees should allow residents with outstanding debts to get into manageable payment plans.
• ZESA should desist from disconnecting electricity infrastructure from households for
  defaulting residents.

1.4. Public Transport

Most commuters are being forced to pay US$1.00 per single trip, making transport one of the highest expenses for the suffering residents. Even school children are being asked to pay $1.00 per trip. This has meant that children miss lessons at school or they bear the brunt of walking long distances to local schools. The participants indicated that the working population is often seen trying to hike private lifts along Seke Road which links to Harare and into Chitungwiza as they are cheaper.

Recommendations

Public transport should charge a reasonable fee of $0.50 per trip and desist from over charging residents.

1.5. Representation by Councilors

Residents raised concern about the lack of effective representation by elected Chitungwiza councilors. Present at the meeting was councilor Usada of Ward 21 Seke North. Despite being popularly elected by the people, Chitungwiza councilors have not convened meetings with the residents to provide them with feedback on what they are doing on behalf of the people who elected him into office. Residents said that councilors are no longer there to represent them but to further their own selfish interests. Residents lambasted the councilors for failing to articulate their issues in council.

Recommendations

• Councilors should regularly have meetings with residents on service delivery issues.

1.6. Vendors

Residents said that Chitungwiza has limited designated market areas. This has left most people vulnerable as the police usually conduct raids and confiscate their wares. There are reports of corruption by the police who allegedly solicit bribes in order to allow some vendors to continue with their activities. Residents said that such behavior is deplorable as vending is the key activity for survival.

Recommendations

Council should through the district offices have a clear strategy of allocating stands for vending to avoid instances of bribery for vending areas.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Officers should desist from harassing vendors.

1.7. Water shortages

Residents of Chitungwiza are saddened by erratic water supplies. Residents in Ward 22, Chitungwiza Unit O have gone for years without water whilst they are paying rates to council. Residents said that there so much pressure on boreholes drilled by UNICEF. The councilor said that Chitungwiza Town council owes Harare City Council about US$40.000. The local authority is now threatening to cut supplies to Chitungwiza Municipality.

Recommendations

• Residents demanded that council drill boreholes using the water account money since council is failing to supply adequate water.
• Residents urged councilor Usada to take up the issue of water and advise the council to prioritize water supplies to the communities in Chitungwiza.

1.8. Recreation facilities

Residents denounced corrupt council officials who continuously parcel out recreational facilities to greedy businessmen who convert them into profit making ventures.

Recommendations

Residents demanded that council destroys all illegal structures in Chitungwiza. Council should stop allocation of stands to outsiders and concentrate of ensuring stands are availed to the local people.

1.9. Public toilets

Residents complained about lack of public toilets in Chitungwiza, compromising public health. They raised concern about destruction of the toilet at Huruyadzo Township.

Recommendations

Council should build public toilets in the area. Response by Councilor Usada: Residents had several questions for Ward 21 Seke North Councilor on service delivery. Listed below are some of the key questions asked by the residents:

• Why should residents pay for water when there is no water?
• Will service delivery in Chitungwiza ever improve?
• Is the council really concerned about our welfare?
• How do you expect us to survive without water and public toilets?
• Why does council spend more funds on administration rather than service delivery?

The councilor said water problems in Chitungwiza are a result of the increasing water demand and crisis in Harare where council is failing to meet the demand of the City of Harare. He said that Chitungwiza also gets its water from Harare Water and until the problems in Harare are addressed, water challenges will remain. Water problems are also caused by the terrain in the area as well as poor pumping capacity. He said that residents are encouraged to pay their rates so that council can deliver. The councilor said that Chitungwiza Town council owes Harare City Council about US$40,000 in debt. The local authority is now threatening to cut supplies for Chitungwiza Town council.

Way Forward

• The Chitungwiza Municipality urged to improve service delivery.
• Residents will not pay for services not provided. Intensify pressure on elected councillors so that they deliver on their electoral mandate of satisfying the electorate.
• "Together we can make the difference" they said. "Staying in your house without taking part in finding a solution will solve nothing, so wake up and be a part of the community" the CHIRRA leadership said.
• The CHIRRA leaders said that public meetings will remain a key program of the residents¡¦ movement and continue to build a critical mass.

Solidarity Speeches

Mr Precious Shumba - HRT Founder and Coordinator

Shumba said that the HRT is concerned about the state of service delivery in Harare and will ensure that the residents of Harare take interest in addressing the problems in the system of council. He said that it becomes important for the residents of Chitungwiza to know their councilors and the committees in which they sit in council. He said that residents have got power by virtue of being the rate payers. He said that it is this power that residents have failed to use against local authorities. He said that residents can simply delay payment of rates by two weeks so that council appreciates that they are the master and that the master deserves to be served. Shumba said that it is not a crime to express discontent and dissatisfaction with the functioning of council and as such residents can take such action against the local authority by simply gathering in their numbers at selected council offices demanding services and accountability. Shumba concluded by saying that the struggle for good governance in the communities is far from being won. He said that this is not a problem in neither Chitungwiza nor Harare alone but in the whole country. He said that the HRT is an organization that was put in place to fight for good local governance. The organization also covers Chitungwiza, Norton and Epworth in its work. He encouraged residents to visit HRT offices if they have individual or community concerns on service delivery.

Contact Details: For any feedback comments on this meeting please contact the CHIRRA Chairperson on 0772-284219 or email info@hrt.org.zw

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