City of Harare must deliver or ship out
T HE rains are upon us. They have brought joy for residents. It means a rise in water levels at sources that supply Harare like Lake Chivero. The water levels at Lake Chivero had significantly dwindled. This forced council to announce a tight water rationing schedule.
The opening up of the skies promised a bumper harvest too for the urban farmer in as much as it cooled the undisciplined temperatures characteristic of summer seasons.
But the rains exposed City of Harare badly. The evidence is everywhere for anyone with eyes to see. There are now potholes even in the city centre. It has become a nightmare for motorists to navigate the potholed roads be it along Second Street Extension, Seke Road, Chiremba Road or Simon Mazorodze.
So dangerous have the roads become with motorists ramming into each other as they avoid the potholes.
As this is not enough, the situation has been exacerbated by a poor drainage system that has turned roads into rivers hiding the menacing potholes when it rains. A motorist would only discover the existence of a pothole after falling victim.
The drainage system is pretty clogged creating man-made dams on the roads. The Westgate roundabout is one such an example. The drainage holes are there, but are chocked to allow any smooth flow of water.
The sad story of what has become of Harare does not end there. Mountains of uncollected garbage are visible in most suburbs. Council came up with a refuse collection timetable which it seldom obeys. This has seen residents dumping garbage on open spaces in most suburbs.
In Mbare and other high density suburbs, blocked sewer is now the order of the day. It is flowing everywhere and the fact that there is an outbreak of water borne diseases like typhoid, though regrettable in this era and age, does not come as a shock.
What is clear is that systems have collapsed at Harare City Council. How does, for example, council explain failure to clear the drainage system when it was fully aware as early as January that December brings with it rains. A whole 12-month period to prepare the drains for the rains wasted! How does council not service refuse trucks to an extent it can no longer carry refuse on time? Or worse still, fail to cut grass on roadsides that in some areas block visibility for motorists?
The mantra at Town House is “cash flow challenges”. This is only believable had council bosses not been pocketing thousands in benefits at the expense of service delivery. In fact, it is shocking that council executives are demanding reinstatement of their mega salaries and benefits when the city is a sorry state.
It is high time that Town House introspects and prioritise service delivery without further delay. Is it not embarrassing that Harare is now home to ancient curable diseases like typhoid.
It starts with collecting refuse on time and supplying clean water to residents. As for the potholed roads, where is that potholing filling machine council unveiled amid pomp and fanfare a few years ago or the road sweeping vehicle which we were told too would ensure the Central Business District is pin smart? Deliver or ship out!