Harare goes electronic

HARARE City Council has adopted the e-Agenda to enable active stakeholder participation and achieve the mid-term goal of reaching 75 percent customer satisfaction by year end.

The e-Agenda is an electronic management system designed to help create, approve and track meeting items and agendas.

Speaking to stakeholders at Town House on Monday, Acting Mayor Councillor Happymore Gotora said council was engaging residents through social media platforms.

“We have adopted the e-Agenda,” he said. “We are engaging our stakeholders through our social media platforms that include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and our website. Those who have been engaging can testify that this initiative has helped in solving certain issues.”

Clr Gotora said social media platforms also served as noticeboards that give stakeholders information about activities being carried out by the council.

iPads

He said the involvement of stakeholders in the running of council affairs would enable council to benchmark its successes and failures.

“Stakeholder participation is central to good governance and an important factor in sustainable development,” said Clr Gotora. “The city came up with a comprehensive stakeholder policy document in 2016 that governs the way we work.”

In December last year, council spent at least $375 000 on iPads for councillors and selected managers.

The average market price for a brand new iPad is in the region of US$500, or $8 000 on the interbank rate.

Harare’ has 46 councillors, meaning the city parted with at least $375 000 for the iPads.

The total outlay would have been enough to clear a salary backlog for at least 337 of council’s lowest-paid workers who were getting $1 109.