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Report on the Mabvuku public meeting
Harare Residents' Trust (HRT)
October 23, 2012

Introductions

Ms Regina Bakuri, the HRT Assistant Membership Officer introduced the HRT team to the residents and Mr Peter Nyakudya from Harare City Treasury. She welcomed him to the meeting and encouraged him to feel at home with the residents, who have various service delivery concerns.

Welcome Remarks

Mr William Daison, the Chairman of Mabvuku Residents' Committee welcomed everyone in attendance. He reiterated that this was a platform for residents to voice their concerns to service providers. It was also an opportunity for residents and service providers to engage each other in pursuit of an efficient and affordable service delivery system. In addition Mr Daison highlighted the service delivery challenges being experienced in Mabvuku for years now. He castigated the Harare City Council for its failure to prioritise the service delivery demands of the residents, particularly water issues. The areas along Hunter Street have had no water for over six years now.

The HRT Explained

The Assistant Membership Officer explained that the HRT (MA 526/2012) was founded by Mr Precious and Mrs Constance Shumba in February 2008 after realising that residents are being short-changed by service providers, who exploited residents' ignorance of their rights. The HRT governance structure has the Board, the Residents' Council (RC), Suburban Committees and the Secretariat, the implementing arm of the organisation. The RC, a coalition of all suburban residents committees, selects an executive that runs the affairs of the residents for two years in each term, which can only be extended once. The HRT mainly focused on providing education to the residents, lobbying and advocating for the upholding of residents' rights, and efficient service provision, including dealing with access to water and sewer reticulation services, a proper road network, housing, and representation by elected officials, among other issues. She said the HRT tries by all means to ensure that its work for the residents is done in a transparent manner. The organisation also discussions between residents and the service providers through community forums and focus group discussions, whose major outcome is enhance service provision and improved resolution of community concerns.

Discussion on Service Delivery in Mabvuku

The discussion was guided by the residents concerns particularly issues on water supplies, quality and availability, potholes on roads, refuse collection, the issuance of final demands and eviction orders from the council, which were of particular concern.

Mrs Constance Shumba, the HRT's Women Desk leader equated the council to the Biblical Penina who terrorised Hannah because she had no children of her own. She said Hannah consistently sought God's intervention in her suffering and finally got a child, Prophet Samuel whom she dedicated to God, and he served God with honour until he died.

"Residents are being abused by the Peninas in council who continue to undermine residents because of their poverty and lack of power," she said. "What residents want is a situation where the council officials and other service providers come to the communities and speak to them so that solutions to their problems are found. There is too much elitism in the offices where they encourage people to drink their water yet they buy bottled water."

Mrs Shumba highlighted that residents concerns are not being taken on board by the council through demanding exorbitant fees for non-provided services. She challenged the council to deal with house ownership where the majority of the residents have stayed in their houses for over 25 years but still have not secured their title deeds.
She said: "Hannah prayed to God, with tears visible, yet she did not deviate from her demand for a child. Residents have to rise now to make their demands known to all service providers so that no one doubts what we want. The time for the leaders of council to enjoy while we suffer has to end, but unity of purpose is needed."

Final Demands

The Lobby and Advocacy Officer, Ms Pretty Chabuda summed up the key issues that the council needed to resolve with residents, especially the issue of final demands by Harare City Council. She urged Mr Nyakudya to record all the residents' concerns and forward them to the relevant departments' because residents are getting impatient by the day.

In response, Mr Nyakudya, from the City Treasurer said some residents in Mabvuku 'have not bothered to pay any cent to the City of Harare since February 2009' leaving them in huge debt with council. "Residents with debts should not ignore the invitations extended to them as this provides them with an opportunity to discuss and agree with council on how to resolve the issues."

Water Supply

One resident said they have spent more than eight years without water along Rwenya Road and all the areas around SISK and Mabvuku Number 1 Grounds. Children who were born six to seven years ago do not know that water comes from the taps and believe water can only be found in shallow wells or community boreholes. Are we liberated or not because we are not free in these houses? We filled some papers for senior citizens but up to now nothing has been done by Harare City Council to reflect they are pensioners above 60 years. He further questioned when the council would provide clean water to their area, seeing that boreholes are constantly breaking down.

Plenary

• Mr Nyakudya from the City Treasury acknowledged that residents have huge debts but urged those who have not paid anything since dollarization to at least make an effort than to stay for free. He said some areas in Mabvuku have water but others do not have. He explained that fixed water charges are used for the reticulation of the water distribution network so it is supposed to be charged to all residents whether or not the water is availed. At this, the residents were angry with these remarks and they expressed their disappointment over the way the council operates. Mrs Shumba had to intervene to quench the anger of the residents by reminding the residents that responsible residents should not harass the representatives from council but should promote dialogue so that their issues are resolved, and their knowledge is enhanced. This would promote cooperation of the officials at future meetings. Mr Nyakudya thanked Mrs Shumba for the intervention and commended the HRT for continuing to provide the residents and the council some knowledge on various issues on service delivery.
• Do you visit all the areas that to you provide services? Why is it that from Hunter Bar to Rwenya Road there is no water for the past six years? "Vana vakatoona mvura ichibuda vanotiza vachiti nyoka nekuti havasati vamboiona". We are being abused badly if we come to your offices because we are not being helped. We are now doing dry washing and everyone is now allowed three cups of water at household level as a copying mechanism.
• Why would a fridge, television set and wheel barrow cost $67 at an auction? This followed reports that the council had auctioned the property of a defaulting widow and only got US$67, leaving her extremely vulnerable, and without any source of income, and facing accumulating debt. Mr Nyakudya said the problem was in the billing system of council and the charges from the messenger of court, which keep rising. The residents of Mabvuku were agitated by this response and vowed to fight to the end. The HRT was urged to organise another meeting of stakeholders to find a lasting solution to these issues.
• Another Mabvuku resident questioned why the council put the residents on a payment plan while the council is not providing any services. Council is not helping residents to pay for their bills because we spend a lot of time looking for water. Why are we being charged reconnection fees when we have spent six years without water? It is high time we take the council to court as a group for their failure to provide water. The answer to the question was that if we lobby as residents we can force the engineers to prioritise increasing the pumping pressure so that residents on higher ground receive water supplies.
• Mrs Juliet Masiyambiri, the Chairperson of Glen Norah B Residents' Committee said the HRT had helped her in solving some of the challenges residents in her area face every day. She urged the community members to join hands with the Harare Residents' Trust and contribute to its growth through active participation during community activities and initiatives.

Concluding Remarks

The Assistant Membership Officer thanked all the participants for coming to the meeting and urged the residents' present to spread the message to their neighbours so that the organisation's aim to have one million members by 31 December 2016 is achieved, making the organisation self-sustaining.

The Closing prayer was given by Mrs Fiona Makwanda and the meeting ended at 1300 hours.

Visit the Harare Residents' Trust fact sheet

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