Harare will regain lost lustre
PRESIDENT MNANGAGWA recently appointed businessman CHARLES TAVENGWA (CT) as Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Harare Metropolitan Province. He was charged with overseeing the development and implementation of Government policies in Harare Metropolitan province and its four local authorities — Harare, Chitungwiza, Epworth and Ruwa. The Sunday Mail’s EMMANUEL KAFE (EK) spoke to Minister Tavengwa on his plans for the province.
EK: Can you outline some of the key infrastructural development projects that Harare was focused on this year?
CT: Harare Metropolitan province is currently seized with the implementation of several infrastructure projects.
Besides the projects that are being done by local authorities, we have several major projects currently under implementation, which include the refurbishment and development of new of water and sewer reticulation infrastructure.
The Mbudzi Interchange project is 58 percent complete and is expected to be completed around mid-year in 2024.
The Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme has been extended to the end of 2024 and works are underway.
We are also undertaking the rehabilitation of the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
Expansion of the north and south wings was completed and commissioned.
Construction of the VVIP (very very important person) pavilion is currently ongoing, including refurbishment works of the existing international terminal building and relocation of the old fire station.
Overall, the project is 80 percent complete.
There is also the Geo Pomona Dumpsite project.
This is a site reserved for waste disposal in Harare Metropolitan province.
The site will also be used for electricity generation, obtained from methane gas through a process called encapsulation.
We also have the 500 mega tonnes gas storage facility project.
This is a project being spearheaded by NOIC (National Oil Infrastructure Company of Zimbabwe).
The project’s aim is to create LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) storage facilities where the company will buy and resell gas at low cost.
EK: For years, Harare has grappled with
the problem of land barons. What are you doing to address this menace?
CT: Harare province and the adjoining districts have experienced unprecedented incidences of illegal development, which the province is currently seized with addressing as a high priority area.
State and municipal land has been illegally subdivided by unscrupulous individuals, land barons, councillors and council management, syndicates, land developers and housing cooperatives, in violation of the provisions of the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act, the Urban Councils Act, the Environmental Management Act and other statutes, including municipal bylaws.
The province has a total of 116 illegal housing schemes, with an estimated population of 53 000. Since 2022, a number of measures have been taken to address this issue, including the following:
◆ The arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators;
◆ Rollout of the regularisation programme, which seeks to reorganise, regularise and/ or relocate settlements developed illegally and on inappropriate sites. Harare Metropolitan province adopted the programme and incorporated it into the Provincial Economic Development Plan for operationalisation as a priority focus area; ◆ Undertaking awareness programmes on the development planning process, especially with regard to proper procedures to be followed by homeseekers in order to acquire land for development;
◆ The province has directed all local authorities to prepare and update their master and local plans as required in terms of the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act after noting that their absence have contributed significantly to challenges in land delivery and development management processes; and
◆ The authorities have been directed to scale up their surveillance, development monitoring and enforcement in order to effectively arrest the menace.
In this regard, local authorities have been urged to adequately capacitate their relevant planning and development control arms in terms of human and material resources. EK: Another problematic issue bedevilling Harare province is that of drug abuse. What steps are your office taking to combat the growing presence of drug lords in the city? CT: Police have intensified drug law enforcement.
We have also encouraged the involvement of the communities in working with law-enforcement agents to arrest the drug lords.
We have also held campaigns in schools to eradicate drug abuse.
In addition, liaison with the Judiciary has been intensified to ensure there are stiffer sentences whenever a drug lord is arrested to avoid the catch-and-release syndrome.
There is also serious monitoring of our entry and exit points like Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport to ensure entry and exit of drugs is curtailed. EK: A key pillar in fighting the drug menace involves rehabilitation of addicts. What is your province doing to facilitate rehabilitation of those who use drugs?
CT: As the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, I chair the Provincial Inter-Ministerial Committee on Drug and Substance Abuse.
The issue of rehabilitation falls under the community reintegration pillar, which is led by the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.
The ministry has a psychosocial support centre housed at the Old Makombe Complex, in Block 3.
The centre was established as a bridge between the hospital and the community and boasts skilled social workers and a clinical psychologist, who offers psychosocial support and counselling to the survivors.
Also, the Department of Social Development conducts awareness campaigns in a bid to educate communities and reduce the effects of drug and substance abuse.
Usually, the campaigns are conducted in partnership with other stakeholders, including non-governmental organisations.
The Basic Education Assistance Module is another social protection programme that ensures all those who drop out of school as a result of drug and substance abuse get back to school. EK: How are you facilitating collaboration between the Harare City Council and the three other local authorities (Chitungwiza, Ruwa and Epworth) under your purview to ensure effective service delivery?
CT: As a provincial office responsible for the wellbeing and economic development of every citizen in Harare Metropolitan province, we have come up with a number of initiatives to ensure effective service delivery by local authorities.
These efforts are not only limited to local authorities, but also extend to ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to ensure a whole-of-government approach in addressing service delivery.
The Minister of State’s office is at the forefront of ensuring all MDAs are devolved and that we work together as a province.
The province is now fully established to handle all issues, including economic affairs, infrastructure development, environmental management and utilities.
My office also spearheads stakeholder engagement and coordination on all matters.
Particularly for waste management, the province spearheads the monthly Presidential Clean-up Campaign, where Government departments and the private sector are encouraged to clean up their localities.
The province also monitors and coordinates the Emergency Solid Waste Management Programme, which was initiated by His Excellency, Dr ED Mnangagwa, to address the declared solid waste state of emergency.
The province established thematic working groups and provincial sub-committees that are constituted by all stakeholders at provincial level, which include ministries, departments and agencies; local authorities; and member organisations. EK: What is your office doing to ensure that residents have access to clean water?
CT: The main challenge bedevilling Harare Metropolitan province is the inadequacy of bulk water supply.
To address this issue, the Bulk Water Supply Technical Committee was constituted to investigate the issue and draw up recommendations for Cabinet.
The team was given a 100-day assignment ending December 31 to highlight short-term solutions that will witness an improvement of the water supply.
A report to Cabinet on priority areas requiring funding has since been submitted.
Also, part of the US$1,5 million for procurement of water treatment chemicals has been released to Harare City Council, to the tune of $4,6 billion (as at December 8).
The balance was to be paid by December 11.
Top 100 water customers by consumption, who are judiciously paying, have been identified, with an intention to ring-fence their water accounts so that there is sustainable and continuous water service delivery.
Also, the committee was tasked (and it has since been done) with providing mediumand long-term water supply situation updates for Harare Metropolitan.
Additionally, through the Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme, a number of alternative water sources have been provided throughout the province since January 2023.
In addition, the province also received a borehole drilling rig to buttress the efforts being made to ensure water availability.
I can confidently say that more than 200 boreholes have been drilled to date in the province, although they are at various stages of being equipped.
Of course, this is without downplaying the contribution of our partners and non-governmental organisations that are coming in to help in the WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) sector, as they have contributed through the provision of a considerable number of alternative water sources throughout Harare.
Operationally, the province is in the process of installing a chlorine dioxide generator, repairing broken-down clarifier units and filters at the Morton Jaffray pump station, and there are ongoing works to replace pumps at Morton Jaffray and Letombo pump stations. EK: What is Harare doing to curb the current cholera outbreak? CT: The resurgence of cholera in Harare was discovered on September 23 and 24.
Cases were recorded in Harare city and Chitungwiza.
The response to cholera is pillar-based, with the following pillars taking a lead: ◆ Case management;
◆ Infection prevention and control; ◆ Resource mobilisation; and
◆ Risk communication and community engagement.
Four cholera treatment centres have been established in four areas in Harare — Kuwadzana, Glen View, Budiriro and at the Beatrice Infectious Diseases Hospital, while two others in Chitungwiza are at Chitungwiza Central Hospital and in St Mary’s.
Community sensitisation programmes on prevention of cholera and behaviour change are taking place through partner support.
Harare City Council also plans to increase the water generation capacity from 300 megalitres (ML) to 520ML by January 2024.
Riding on the state of emergency declaration by His Excellency, there has been increased refuse collection in all the four local authorities.
A centralised dumping site has been established, that is, Pomona Dumping Site.
In partnership with the Red Cross, we are engaging communities in Harare Metropolitan province and distributing non-food items and water treatment tablets, and conducting water testing in cholera hotspots. EK: Regarding the issuance of title deeds, how far has Harare province progressed in fulfilling the promise made earlier this year by the President?
CT: To date, much progress has been achieved by the province under the programme, with a total of 20 000 stands having been regularised, the majority being in Epworth, where, in April this year, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, personally handed over 265 title deeds to residents.
This was part of a programme to issue 11 200 title deeds to homeowners in that area under the Presidential Title Deeds and Settlement Regularisation Programme.
The first phase of identification of such settlements has been done for Epworth, which is now in the second phase.
Currently, Harare City Council is in the process of identifying (prospective beneficiaries) in areas like Highfield, Glen View and Mbare, while resources are being mobilised to facilitate the necessary processes.
The process of identification is set to be complete by the first quarter of next year, after which Chitungwiza and Ruwa will be considered. EK: Reopening of the Mupedzanhamo market has been a contentious issue this year. Can you update us on when the market is likely to be opened? CT: Operating workspaces at Mupedzanhamo are under the jurisdiction of the local authority, in this case the City of Harare.
Engagements are being done with various stakeholders, including the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, and hopefully next year, the market will be opened to vendors.
The idea is to develop a world-class market with functional modern ablution facilities that will allow SMEs (small and medium enterprises) to operate in a conducive environment that restores their dignity.