Back to Index

Residents' update April 2012
Harare Residents' Trust (HRT)
May 02, 2012

Residents want debt cancellation not payment plans

Residents of Harare have been getting letters of final demand, served with summons whilst others had services discontinued by service providers over unpaid bills. Reports received by the HRT and surveys conducted by our community coordinators who have been engaged to increase ground support, indicate that citizens want Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) and the City of Harare to write off their debts covering the period from February 2009 to December 2010.

Surveys conducted by Mufakose Residents' Committee (MRC) an affiliate of the HRT, in the Mhishi and Cherima area indicate that over 100 houses were served with final letters of demand over outstanding debts. The chairman, Never Dhodho produced summons from the messenger of court that informed residents to settle their outstanding debts by 24 April 2012, or the treasury department would embark on an attachment exercise of properties. The exercise to date has not been carried out, leaving residents vulnerable and susceptible to dubious organisations like the Welfare Trust which reportedly went around the suburb collecting US$41 claiming it could reverse the summons according to committee member Sithembiso Betalisi. "There is growing fear and uncertainty in the community."

In Kuwadzana Extension Batai Dziva of House Number 11778 and Simbarashe Tapera (18) of Warren Park were subject to ZESA disconnections, again over unpaid bills despite their efforts to seek manageable payment plans. HRT intervention on the case of Tapera, who leads a child headed family, was successful. Alice Kanengoni of Glen View 3 also had her electricity supply cut. She owed ZESA $383.21. Mabvuku and Tafara's water supplies were erratic, averaging two-three days per week according to Tafara Residents' Committee Chairperson, Reverend Onismo Mushonga. Despite poor service provision in the area, council went on to attach properties from house Number 43 Mazari and 16 Kurudzi. Residents have therefore called for the debt cancellation to clear backdated arrears.

A report done by the Competitions and Tariffs Commission on the operations of the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) and the City of Harare concluded that the two organisations' billing system left a lot to be desired as bills were largely estimates and beyond the reach of most people. The HRT contributed through written submissions, highlighting the major challenges consumers faced to make ends meet. Residents are being asked to pay for services not rendered which conflicts with the policy of the HRT. The HRT Director, Precious Shumba indicated that the City of Harare put a 51% interest on overdue accounts from February 2009 to June 2009, leaving most residents in debt. He attributed these anomalies on the billing system to alleged cases of corruption and outright incompetence within the two public bodies- ZESA and the City of Harare. The poor are being forced to pay huge amounts yet senior government officials are left to use water and electricity for free. Residents in most communities go for days without water supplies, electricity and refuse collection. Below are service delivery highlights from Harare communities;

Service Delivery

Sewerage reticulation: In Budiriro 3 residents objected to the ongoing construction of residential stands at open spaces that had been reserved for schools and clinic, as the sewer pipe in the area does not have the capacity to accommodate more houses. Trenches were dug in Highlands and Chisipite to resuscitate a sewer reticulation project initiated long back in 1986.

1.1. Water supplies: Residents in Hatcliffe had no running water for the month of April while a section of Kuwadzana 5 also went for a complete month without water. City of Harare responded swiftly to Crowborough's situation when it went for four days without water putting down fears of another Typhoid outbreak in the area. There has been no water in Upper foligne for the past three years.

1.2. Refuse Collection: Waste dumps have emerged in Kuwadzana Extension near the clinic. Refuse was collected twice in Dzivarasekwa. Mounds of waste continue to pile up behind flats in Mbare as raising fears of a typhoid outbreak.

1.3. Electricity Supplies: Electricity supply was erratic all over Harare Metropolitan due to reported low electricity capacity output at Hwange Thermal Power Station and Kariba, according to ZESA. However in Kuwadzana, Crowborough and Dzivarasekwa residents from the onset were receiving electricity four times a week only.

1.4. Other activities in the month of April:

• The HRT managed to secure the support of Lafarge Cement to seriously consider putting up a 5 000 litre water tank at Mabvuku Polyclinic to ease water shortages and also the provision of an Ambulance in Mabvuku Poly Clinic.
• The HRT managed to lobby for the cleaning of 245th street in Geneva, Highfield by the responsible authority. The street had become partially blocked by uncollected garbage. It is the responsibility of the City of Harare's Amenities Department to regularly collect garbage within communities. Residents also have a community responsibility to ensure sustainability of initiatives.
• As a short-gap intervention, the HRT successfully lobbied and negotiated for putting seven residents facing challenges in settling their bills on payment plans by the City of Harare and ZESA.
• The HRT is lobbying for the total write off of all debt accumulated between February 2009 and December 2010.

Visit the Harare Residents' Trust fact sheet

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP