Back to Index

Local government media tracker - Week ending 14 November 2012
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
November 14, 2012

Council unveils $228 budget
NewsDay

Harare City Council unveiled a $228 million budget for next year, which features no increases in rates. According to the budget, there will be no increases in water charges, maternity fees, refuse collection and other critical services. Council hopes to depend for revenue on current rates and recovery of debts owed by residents, government and the corporate world-totally a staggering $250 million. Presenting the budget, Finance and Development Committee Chairperson Friday Muleya said "City would not increase tariffs for the third year running". Muleya said City would raise the required money from various sources including properties not on the city's valuation roll, refuse collection ($23 million), Zinara and Billboards ($5 million), clamping and towing ($5, 5 million), health fees ($10 million), water ($117 million), parks and cemeteries ($800 000), among other sources. Mayor Muchadei Masunda explained that the council needed the co-operation of government and residents to successfully implement its budget.

CCZ concerned about quality of bulk water
The Standard

The Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) raised concern over the quality and price of bulk water being sold by many companies in and outside Harare. A recent survey carried out by the consumer watchdog said some of the companies were drawing their water from dams, rivers and boreholes. The CCZ added there were suspicions that companies were taking water from the Harare City Council taps, which many residents no longer drink because of numerous safety concerns. The organisation said the shortages of clean, safe water have reached "seismic" levels and urged municipalities to honour their duty of ensuring that consumers have sufficient water. The fact that local authorities were failing to supply clean water to residents has given rise to an illegal water sector where some unscrupulous individuals are starting companies to trade in the precious liquid. CCZ found that the companies were charging between US$60 and US$120 for 5 000 cubic meters of water both within and outside Harare.

More heads to roll at Town House
NewsDay

The Probe Team set up by Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo last month to investigate illegal dealings at Harare Town House, including car sales, stands and billboards has completed its task last week. Initial reports indicate heads might roll once again, as more councillors and officials are reportedly implicated in the dishonest deals. Chombo last month appointed the team to investigate mushrooming of illegal car sales, illegal billboards and the awarding of tenders by the city council. Masunda added that there were people who sold building materials, flowers and other items at road intersections. Although some of them had licences, others were unlicensed. They could be collusion between the District Officers and functionaries, and various departments and some councillors, he said.

City of Harare sets aside US$8.5m for water, sewage
The Sunday Mail

The Harare City Council proposed, in its 2013 budget, to set aside US$8, 5 million to address the city's water and sewage problems. Presenting a total US$291 million budget, Chairperson of the Finance Committee Councillor Friday Muleya highlighted that over US$8 million would be used for water projects and procurement of pre-paid water meters. Councillor Muleya said Council would continue to refurbish its plants at Morton Jaffray and replace old water pipes to ease the underground leakages that had resulted in water shortages in various suburbs. "The year 2013 will see an inception of a programme of gradual replacement of the network of old pipes which have contributed significantly to non-revenue water through leakages and bursts," he said.

Mahusekwa dam to boost livelihoods
The Zimbabwean

Mahusekwa Dam is set to be turned into a community-driven, income generating water body after the intervention of a non-governmental organisation. Mahusekwa communal area, about 55 kilometres south of Harare, is a relatively arid area that lies in Natural Region V. Meanwhile, according to Oxfam GB, in recent years Mahusekwa has experienced worsening droughts, which has negatively impacted on rain-fed agricultural production as well as accelerating deforestation and dam and river siltation. In partnership with relevant authorities, Oxfam has developed interventions to address issues of food security and income generation through the sustainable management of natural resources.

Corruption: Chombo suspends councillor
The Zimbabwean

Local Government minister, Ignatius Chombo, suspended an MDC-T councillor, Misheck Gapare, on allegations of insubordination amid reports that the councillor had unraveled corruption within the local authority involving the minister. Chombo in his letter alleged that Gapare had failed to work well with other MDC-T councillors, thereby compromising service delivery in the country's oldest town. Inside sources said Gapare was being punished for exposing shadowy deals within the council, some of which involved Chombo. He had queried why the council had awarded a road maintenance contract to a company called Tencraft, allegedly owned by Chombo, without going to tender, when the council had its own engineering department that was capable of doing the work.

Council workers threaten to down tools
The Zimbabwean

Victoria Falls Town Council employees threatened to down tools in protest after going for three months without full pay. The municipality has been paying its workers a third of their salaries since August, citing cash flow problems. Victoria Falls Mayor, Nkosilathi Jiyane, confirmed the development, saying the local authority was broke. Jiyane said the financial problems at the municipality started when the Labour Court ruled that the employees be given a 32 percent salary increase in August. The lowest paid Victoria Falls municipality employee earns between $200 and $250 after the adjustment following the Labour Court ruling. However, city council employees' dispute that the municipality cannot afford to meet their salary demands after the local authority recently purchased an "S" Class Mercedes Benz for the Mayor.

Chipangano defies council order to hand over property
The Zimbabwean

The Zanu (PF) - aligned Chipangano terror group based in Mbare is resisting a Harare City Council order to leave a building it has occupied. Carter House, an overnight accommodation facility for long distance travellers, was commandeered by the group to house Zanu (PF) and senior Chipangano members. Chipangano leader Jim Kunaka claimed in court recently that he owned Carter House, and used the address on papers given to the prosecution. Under the guise of empowerment and indigenization, Zanu (PF) and Chipangano members, often assisted by the police and some sections of the Harare City Council, have been grabbing council properties and open spaces in Mbare. One of the beneficiaries at Carter House, Dickson Musarurwa, argued that council properties had to be converted into working places to reverse colonialism.

Housing scheme collapsed
The Zimbabwean

The long awaited rehabilitation of council hostels in Marondera hit a snag, raising the suspicion that some city fathers could have received kick-backs from a company contracted to carry out the exercise. Rehabilitation of the Rusike and Marondera flats located in Dombotombo was supposed to have started early last month. The giant residential project was abandoned in 2005, after council declared them unsafe for human dwelling. "The council had successfully hired AQS Company to carry out the $85, 000 building facelift. AQS offered to foot all expenses and later recover the costs through rentals. Unfortunately, some short sighted MDC-T ward councillors made false reports to their party headquarters suggesting money had changed hands, resulting in the collapse of the project," said a council management source. He said following the false reports, MDC-T officials from Harare visited council offices. They reportedly called for a re-advertisement of the contract tender.

Chiefs grab sugarcane farms
The Zimbabwean

At least three traditional chiefs have grabbed sugarcane farms in Chiredzi, arguing that as leaders of the Shangaani community they did not benefit from the chaotic land reform programme. Chiefs Felix Murandu Tshovani, Mavivi Misheck Gudo and Mundau Sengwe forcibly took sugarcane farms from fellow blacks. Chief Tshovani took over plot 16 in Hippo Valley while chiefs Sengwe and Gudo grabbed plots in the Makwasine area. A member of the Zimbabwe Sugar Milling Workers Union, Marko Shoko, confirmed the development, adding that the traditional leaders were now living in the farmhouses. Shoko said the chiefs were claiming that the land belonged to their ancestors. Masvingo Provincial Governor Titus Maluleke confirmed the development. He said chiefs in Chiredzi were entitled to sugar cane farms as they were custodians of the land.

Visit the CHRA 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