Let’s get the basics of town planning right

THE layout of Harare, the capital, just as with many other cities, was informed by the segregation that defined the colonial state.

It was not built with the black majority in mind.

So, at some point, rapid urbanisation was always going to be inevitable.

Harare, in particular, has witnessed an explosion in population growth, especially over the past two decades.

This had led to the city’s continued expansion.

But this expansion has largely been disorderly.

This clearly should not be the case. For example, Highfield — the capital’s second-oldest high-density suburb, which was established in the 1930s — arguably has better social amenities than some new so-called low-density suburbs that have been created by private developers in recent years.

According to the 2022 census, Harare has a population of 1 849 600.

To put this into context, the white settler population of Rhodesia reached a peak of about 300 000 between 1975 and 1976.

The white settlers built Harare and other cities for themselves.

But are our municipalities planning for the expansion of our cities?

Of all the key projects outlined by the Harare City Council in its ambitious target to achieve world-class city status by 2025, there is only one that speaks to the issue of housing development — the Mbare Urban Renewal Project, which envisaged the construction of modern flats in Harare’s oldest suburb.

However, for a city that is seemingly confronted by rapid urbanisation and over-urbanisation, does it not then follow that provision of properly planned suburbs must be one of its biggest priorities?

The beautiful and stunning houses mushrooming in unplanned settlements show that people have the capacity to build their own houses.

Unfortunately, these settlements neither have the requisite approvals from local authorities nor the critical offsite and onsite infrastructure.

And, in some instances, where private developers have gone through the required approval processes, they end up failing to meet their end of the bargain, leaving prospective homeowners stranded in underdeveloped communities.

Lack of refuse collection, sanitation and clean water supplies is a ticking public health time bomb.

Experts says the ideal distance between a septic tank — which is the go-to sewer system in unplanned settlements — and a well, or other water resources, should be at least 10 metres to prevent contamination.

So, who is monitoring if these standards are being observed in these settlements?

Zimbabwe is currently grappling with a cholera outbreak.

As at November 23, the country had recorded 1 319 confirmed cholera cases and 53 confirmed deaths.

This is only one of many outbreaks that have occurred in the country over the years.

One of the worst outbreaks in recent times happened between 2008 and 2009.

Over 90 000 cases were reported in 60 out of 62 districts, resulting in around 4 300 deaths.

The sad thing is that the current outbreak may not be the last one, as long as the authorities do not become intentional about addressing the fundamental problems.

On Wednesday, city fathers visited Kuwadzana — a hotspot in the capital — and donated soap and aqua tablets.

Their energies, however, could have been better spent dealing with the main cause — not the symptom — of these outbreaks.

The unplanned settlements are also posing another challenge through the destruction of our wetlands, which play a major role in the environment.

Wetlands do not only provide water, but they filtrate it as well.

City fathers also seem to be aloof as greenways in suburbs like Mabelreign are parcelled out as residential stands.

Areas such as greenways and wetlands should be integral to town planning.

So, only when the Harare City Council starts to effectively play its town planning function are we likely to see an improvement in the quality of life of residents.

And we are not only referring to an improvement in the quality of life in terms of basic services, such as sanitation and access to clean water, but also with regard to attractive and functional public spaces.

We all love the fancy idea of “smart cities”, but first and foremost, let us get the basics right.