Staff writer
Harare residents have criticized government interference in the running of the city of Harare, saying council affairs risk being run by ‘a group of elites’.
In a statement, Harare Residents Trust and Combined Harare Residents Association said:
“The Harare Residents Trust (HRT) and Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) strongly denounce the Ministry of Local Government’s seizure of the City of Harare’s decision-making authority.
We view this as a well-calculated tactic to transfer key local government responsibilities,
such as water service provision, to politically connected elites.
“This action directly violates Chapter 14 of the Constitution on devolution, specifically Sections 264(1), 274(2), and 276(1). These sections empower local communities with governance rights, mandate the transfer of duties and resources from the national government to local authorities, ensure urban local
authorities are managed by elected councillors and grant local authorities the autonomy to govern independently.”
Residents say local authorities should be run independently without any political interference.
“Local authorities should have the freedom and authority to make decisions, manage their jurisdictions, and generate revenue without interference. The central government’s push to privatise water services in Harare, including transferring the council-owned Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant to a private company under the pretext of rehabilitation, amounts to sanctioned theft.
“This move undermines the financial foundation of the local authority, further weakening its ability to serve the community.
It is widely acknowledged that the prepaid water metering project in Harare was unsuccessful. Yet, under the questionable water privatisation “deal” imposed by the central government, plans to install 650,000 prepaid water meters in the city have emerged.
“This raises more questions than answers,
leaving uncertainty about whether the goal is to create opportunities for politically connected
individuals or to genuinely improve water services.
We emphasise that installing prepaid water meters will not address the root governance issues that have long undermined water service delivery in Harare. Fundamental problems of transparency and accountability within both the City of Harare and the central government must be resolved first.
This forced privatisation of water services poses significant public health risks and endangers human lives. Regrettably, rather than engaging in a consultative process, the Harare Mayor has taken a leading role in facilitating the takeover of water services without involving citizens or securing full council
resolutions.
“We demand the complete implementation of devolution as outlined in Chapter 14 of the Constitution, alongside a commitment to constitutionalism and effective local governance. The water privatisation
agenda is likely to collapse in the long run, but not before wasting ratepayers’ money and subjecting residents to the severe public health consequences of this imposed policy.”