Harare, Zimbabwe | Harare City Council’s dream of becoming a world-class city by 2025 collapsed as 2024 ended, with former Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni blaming government interference, mismanagement, and corruption, among other obstacles, for the city’s failure to meet its lofty aspirations.
In 2012, Harare City Council launched “Harare Vision 2025,” aiming to transform the capital into a world-class city with promises of improved infrastructure, amenities, and services. Key goals included a mass transit system, a regional transport hub, and modern infrastructure. However, by 2025, little progress has been made.
A decade later, Harare continues to grapple with health crises, including recurring cholera outbreaks, poor sanitation, rogue procurement procedures and inadequate water supply. Corruption and mismanagement have stifled growth, resulting in millions in lost revenue. Informal settlements, exacerbated by land barons linked to Zanu PF, further strain the city’s resources. Additionally, opposition councillors and non-compliant wetland developers have been implicated in corruption, worsening the crisis.
In a frank Facebook post, Manyenyeni, who led the city from 2013 until 2018, expressed no regret over the collapse of the vision, citing systemic issues and government interference.
“I disowned this misplaced mantra years ago when I was still leading the Council,” Manyenyeni wrote.
Manyenyeni pointed out that Harare has seen four mayors since his departure, none of whom “should really be individually blamed” for the city’s downfall. He recalled how, in 2008, his predecessor, Muchadeyi Masunda, described Harare City Council (HCC) as “moribund,” a fitting characterization, in his view.
He traced the city’s struggles back to 2013, when significant financial losses occurred due to governmental actions. A US$1 billion loss in municipal revenue followed decisions by the then Local Government Minister, Ignatius Chombo, who increased salaries for HCC staff and wrote off US$300 million in unpaid rates ahead of elections. These losses, Manyenyeni argued, have haunted the city’s progress ever since.
“This was close to 30 months revenues- with zero compensation from the Government,” Manyeyeni said.
Manyenyeni has previously stated that the debt write-off in July 2013 was equivalent to more than two years’ worth of revenue for the city.
In 2017, when Manyenyeni was mayor, he revealed that his council was paying nearly US$10 million in salaries from a monthly revenue of US$13 million, with seven months of arrears. He also noted that they were facing a situation where ratepayers expected another write-off in 2018.
“My estimate is that the indirect costs of just those two directives (ministerial salary increase and debt write off) add another US$2 billion minimum hemorrhage to Harare City Council,” he stated yesterday.
“Until there is convergence of power with willpower, there is no room for positive dreams for the city.”
Manyenyeni emphasized that key elements for a successful city, such as strong leadership, effective laws, and a thriving economy, have been sorely lacking in Harare.
He criticized the government’s failure to provide adequate support for municipalities, a stark contrast to other countries where local authorities receive up to 70% of their funding from the central government.
Addressing the city’s poor infrastructure, he acknowledged the challenges faced by Harare, citing the aging water treatment system and infrastructure that dates back 60 years.
“Municipal infrastructure, like most public utility works the world over, is multi-generational, cross-generational, inter-generational – which is why the Ian-Smith-was-Better debate was raging last week,” Manyenyeni said.
“We are battling with a 60-year-old water treatment and supply system – Mayor Morton Jaffray is not around to be praised or blamed. You all face the serving mayor for today’s answers to yesterday’s plans and yesterday’s projects. We can blame the current leadership for monthly water treatment, chemical shortages etc but not for infrastructure needs, which are a good three decades behind,” he continued.
He also noted Harare’s struggle with financial mismanagement, with the city failing to comply with audits for over two decades, and the lack of effective revenue-generating strategies. Manyenyeni criticized the city’s over-employment, rogue procurement practices, and misallocation of resources.
“This city has been compliant/up to date with external audits only once in over 25 years in 2017,” he said.
In a blow to the city’s image, Manyenyeni lamented Harare’s tarnished reputation, citing the high number of arrests involving past mayors and town clerks. “Among other sore red flags, you can not imagine any capital city whose Mayors and Town Clerks have been arrested in office more than the Zimbabwe capital in the last 20 years.”
Manyenyeni concluded with a somber message: “Let the dead dream be buried… I shed no tears.”
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