Harare districts take charge of operations

HARARE City Council has decentralised its service delivery mandate with districts now retaining 25 percent of revenue collected in a move set to improve operations and boost the council’s coffers.

The development will see districts overseeing services such as water and sewer services, road maintenance and payment of bills by residents.

Further, the city has been divided into eight operational zones where each zone will run its own plant and machinery while garbage collection is now overseen at district level.

Districts will also run individual bank accounts in a move aimed at improving transparency and accountability.

In a statement last week, Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni said the latest development will instil a sense of responsibility to both residents and council workers.

“This is a milestone development that enhances efficiency, effectiveness and accountability,” he said.

“Development in each district will be based on each district’s ability to marshal resources, especially through mobilising residents to pay their bills.

“Each zone will have its own plant and equipment and will devise its own work programmes aligned to the city’s vision.

“The operational zones are: Zone 1 which includes CBD, Mbare and Sunningdale; Zone 2 — Hatfield and Waterfalls; Zone 3 — Highfield, Glen Norah and Hopley; Zone 4 — Budiriro, Glen view, Mufakose and Marimba; Zone 5 — Kambuzuma, Kuwadzana and Dzivarasekwa; Zone 6 — Mabelreign, Marlborough, Warren Park and Mt Pleasant; Zone 7 — Borrowdale, Hatcliffe, Greendale and Highlands and Zone 8 — Tafara, Mabvuku and Caledonia.

“The services to be offered at the local level include water and sewer services, road maintenance, public lighting, cleansing services, town planning and development control, building inspectorate services, health and licensing services, housing, education and social services, parks and cemeteries and revenue collection and enforcement of by-laws.

“This will make staff and residents at district level responsible and accountable for service delivery as each district office will be a one stop shop for all services, thus bringing services close to the people, improving ease of doing business and reducing response times.”

The move comes after several calls to decentralize service delivery activities.

Zimbabwe Institute of Regional and Urban Planners president Mr Percy Toriro commended the move as progressive and developmental.

“Historically, Harare had many municipal areas. Waterfalls had its own municipal entity while the same applied for places such Borrowdale and Mabelreign,” he said.

“However at Independence, there was need for resources to be shared equally in all suburbs because high residential areas were lagging behind in terms of development.

“As the city grew in population, managing it was becoming difficult and responding to faults was taking long.

“Thus the current move by the city is commendable and progressive because it will improve service delivery.”

Decentralising municipal activities has been successfully implemented in Johannesburg, South Africa. Last week, Government ordered the city council to create a standalone road department in order to efficiently attend to the city’s damaged roads.

Harare seeks to attain world city class status by 2025.

However, the vision has being dented by poor service delivery over the years.