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Full council update - September 2012
Harare Residents' Trust (HRT)
October 07, 2012

All elected and appointed councillors, including heads of departments and the media gathered once again for the Full Council Meeting at Town House on 27 September 2012. This meeting witnessed divergence of views on how to tackle various service delivery challenges affecting Harare. Below are some of the key decision and policy issues under discussion;

Pronouncement by Minister Samuel Sipepa Nkomo on the provision of free water to the residents

The Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda reported that he was quite dismayed by the pronouncements by the Minister of Water Resources Management pronouncement that local authorities should provide free water amounting to 6 cubic metres per day, translating to 6 000 litres as he was saying that it's the right of every citizen to have water. The Mayor noted that these comments are unfortunate as the council would lose around US$624 000 through such an initiative every month for water services. This would result in the council being unable to service the water distribution infrastructure. From the tone of the discussion that ensued, the Harare City Council is totally opposed to Minister Nkomo's proposals. In one such response, Ward 27 Councillor Hebert Gomba said they did not want 'such kind of a Minister' who goes out there to tarnish the image of councillors saying such statements are reckless and such ministers are dangerous. The minister's priorities are virtually wrong and are based on populist rhetoric, according to Councillor Gomba.

Possible increase on maternity fees

Mayor Masunda said that there is a possibility of increasing maternity fees from the current $25 to $50 dollars. The Mayor's remarks were academic and inconsiderate of the suffering masses, who earn very little and are still experiencing economic and social hardships. While appreciating the role women play in national building, the Mayor said women should be responsible when they plan to have babies. His comments came in the wake of repeated calls by the HRT and other stakeholders including the Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe to revise downwards the issue of maternity fees. He said the International Red Cross Society (IRCS) and the United Nations Children's Education Fund (UNICEF) previously provided drugs to the city council worth 75 percent of total drugs needed by the council, but this would drastically change once they pull out, as likely to happen. This, according to the mayor had resulted in the council mooting the idea of increasing maternity fees. From the HRT viewpoint, this is being driven by the desire by the council executive to find alternative sources of income to finance their huge salaries bill, yet the residents continue to be short- changed. The HRT views the utterances by Mayor Masunda as reckless and grossly inhumane and do not exhibit the "fatherly "attitude expected of a man of his stature.

Water issues raised

Councillor Panganayi Charumbira said as councillors they felt humiliated by the residents due to council's failure to provide basic services like water, refuse collection, roads, among other services the Council should provide. He said: "Residents' organisations especially the Harare Residents Trust have come out in the open exposing our shortcomings as a council and this scenario is embarrassing. We come to this August House as council and formulate policy which is supposed to be implemented but nothing is being implemented on the ground." He said it was useless and of no value to the residents the councillors to meet in full council when their decisions are just shelved without implementation by the city employees. Councillor Wellington Chikombo concurred with councillor Charumbira saying residents in Ward 28 Glen Norah are distressed demanding clean and adequate water supplies but the council is failing to provide. He accused the council management of not doing enough to address the concerns of the residents and this created problems for councillors in the communities. The water situation in Glen Norah is desperate.

Regularisation of the ranks within town and surrounding termini

Mayor Masunda expressed his profound gratitude to the ZRP for their swift reaction in trying to restore sanity within city ranks. The blitz was jointly conducted by the ZRP and the Harare City Council in a bid to restore council authority over these ranks. The Town Clerk Dr. Tendai Mahachi explained that they have recruited 80 people from the Municipal Traffic police who were deployed to operate at these ranks, replacing private security companies. The commanders of the reaction team by the council report to him for 15 minutes every day and briefings are held every Friday to assess the situation. Councillor Chikombo noted that the Town Clerk's statement was eloquent theoretically, but far from reality, and accused the town had of being insincere, probably lying, given that the so-called commanders were invisible at the city ranks, but touts were operating without hindrance at ranks like Copa Cabana and Noczim House in Leopold Takawira. Councillor Gandidzanwa Marange also echoed the same sentiments and said that they are hearing of the repossession of the bus termini but questioned the rationale of the 'commanders' saying these should translate to increased revenue for the city council and not just an increase in the number of employees. Touts are a reality and they need to be dealt with decisively and not this piecemeal approach that the council is doing. The councillor urged the town clerk to tell the truth to the august house at all times because their failures will be experienced by councillors who are in direct contact with residents. Councillor Friday Muleya also echoed the same sentiments saying the Town Clerk has dismally failed to execute a council resolution to repossess Carter House and Mupedzanhamo Flea Market from political activists who have occupied it and continue to take money meant for the council for a very long time.

Financial status and performance of the council questioned

Special Interest Councillor Dr. Joseph Kanyekanye said it was saddening that as he perused council minutes availed to him by the council there was nowhere where it was mentioned audited financial accounts, implying the council has not been able to audit its finances. He asked how the council procured plant, equipment and other services without knowing how much money they have in council. This situation results in a lot of corruption within the council and it becomes a problem to the residents who are receiving poor services. Dr Kanyekanye urged the mayor to pursue the issue of audited financial accounts in order to know the financial position of the council.

Defining the operational framework of the councillors

Councillor Job Mbadzi of Ward 24 said it is problematic when councillors want to be involved in the day to day running of council business. Implementation is the responsibility of council management and not councillors, he said. "Councillors have a tendency to operate beyond their mandate and it's a challenge when they want to run council business as if they are employees. The elected leadership should desist from such practices." Councillor Friday Muleya said there was great need to evaluate senior council management especially those between Grades 1- 10 and the Mayor because the councillors were the only ones who are being targeted for dismissals and suspensions yet the senior council management has failed to deliver their mandate as witnessed by the continued decline in service provision. The Mayor, Chamber Secretary, Town Clerk and the other directors should also be scrutinised by the Minister of local Government Rural and Urban development citing non-performance.

Selective tendering system

Councillor Muleya expressed disappointment in the selective tendering system because a lot of councillors were being suspended. He said there was need to ensure that the normal tender processes are followed and not this shortcut approach which resulted in the suspension of Councillor Julius Musevenzi, and the dismissal of Warship Dumba, Casper Takura among the other councillors by Minister Chombo. The remaining councillors now live in constant fear of being suspended, yet the main culprits who are destroying Harare are the council's senior management, who have the minister's protection.

Public relations issues

Councillor Herman Karimakwenda said there was need for the council to spruce up its image which is in tatters. He said: "We are being put to task by such organisations as the HRT and we have been following this up on the introduction of our newsletter but it's now eight months with nothing to suggest that this will ever be done. We demand an explanation on why the council has failed to produce a newsletter." Councillor Wellington Chikombo echoed the same sentiments arguing that the City Public Relations Manager Leslie Gwindi is a senior person but has failed to deliver. In response Mr Gwindi said they have not been given an operating licence by the Zimbabwe Media Commission to go ahead with the project and the $30 000 budget which they presented to council for that project was shot down by council as stifling council resources. He said he was frantically trying to ensure that the project was back on course.

Conclusion

The HRT observed that during the deliberations, councillors were particularly alarmed at the rate they are being either suspended or dismissed for various 'offences' by the Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development. Councillors, on the other hand, are facing resistance and criticism from residents and their representatives over their failure to provide basic services, which they promised residents when they got into office in July 2008. The councillors acknowledged the magnitude of the problems facing residents, which they only discovered during the pre-budget consultation meetings held across Harare. The residents want timeous, efficient, reliable and affordable service provision. Residents now want to be actively involved in civic affairs particularly those that affect their livelihoods. The demand for value for money is resonating across the Harare. Non performance by the council as an institution took centre stage during the full council deliberations.

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