Harare mayor Jacob Mafume has admitted that the city council has fallen short in its goal to transform Harare into a world-class city by next year and is even struggling to restore past standards when many city systems were functional.
Mafume made these remarks as a guest on Star FM’s Current Affairs programme, “Muriro,” hosted by Linda Muriro, the station’s Head of News, Current Affairs, and Digital Services. The show airs every Monday from 6:40 pm to 8 pm.
Reflecting on Harare’s progress, Mayor Mafume acknowledged that residents are justifiably dissatisfied with the city’s current service delivery.
“The state of service delivery needs significant improvement. We are not where we should be, and residents are right to feel that we have fallen short. There are major issues we need to address: (1) water supply, (2) garbage collection, (3) road conditions, (4) public lighting and security, and (5) development control, particularly the unregulated growth of businesses in unsuitable areas.
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“There is dissatisfaction among residents; those who don’t drink are unhappy with the increase in bars, those who don’t attend church frequently are upset about the rise of churches, and those who value order are concerned about the growth of unplanned settlements. These are significant pain points for our residents,” said Mafume.
While many listeners criticized the mayor and his team at Harare City Council for not being up to the task, Mafume expressed that he is deeply concerned about these issues, many of which keep him up at night.
“Water supply is a constant worry. Despite its inadequacy, we must maintain our current production levels, around 300 megalitres per day. This requires keeping the plant operational with sufficient electricity and chemicals. If we fail to provide even this limited supply, some suburbs will face severe consequences due to the lack of safe alternatives.
“We also lack an efficient Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, which is critical for managing our billing. Currently, our ERP is ineffective, leading to confusion as residents struggle to understand their bills month to month. It’s essential to restore a functional ERP to lay the foundation for better service delivery.
“Garbage collection is another major concern. Proper waste management distinguishes us from other animals, and failing to manage our waste reflects poorly on our civilization. It’s an issue that keeps me awake at night.”
Regarding water, Mafume reassured residents that there is sufficient supply to sustain the city through the dry season, despite the El Niño-induced drought this year.
“On the water front, Manyame Dam is 89% full, and Lake Chivero is at 97%. Our plan is to focus on basic maintenance. We have engaged divers to inspect the tunnel that channels water from Manyame to Lake Chivero. The original installation included four pumps, and the city council has procured replacements for these. By the end of September, one of the major pumps will be operational, with the remaining pumps being gradually installed thereafter. This will allow us to draw cleaner water from Lake Manyame, requiring fewer chemicals than Lake Chivero.
“We have collaborated with the government to address our outstanding debt with Chemplex, having already paid US$500,000 and with plans to settle US$2.5 million more.
This will enable us to secure more chemicals needed to increase water supply. That is our current strategy.”
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