Mbare Trust

It is chaired by senior citizen George Banda, the trust’s Vice-Chairperson. The Committee is looking into issues of power supplies, municipal service provision, water supplies, garbage collection, maintenance of sewer lines, and other services. Last week alone, the committee received nearly 30 reports from residents who almost had their power supplies disconnected for alleged non-payment, when they had paid their April electricity bills a week earlier at the Mbare ZESA Offices, situated near Remembrance Municipal offices. ZESA no longer gives out electricity bills on time except upon enquiry at their offices in town. When residents pay their monthly electricity bills, they are given handwritten receipts at the local offices but the same information is not transmitted to the main centralized billing offices at ZESA Headquarters along Samora Machel Avenue. Later, ZESA employees visit peoples’ houses, desperate to disconnect power supplies, claiming non-payment. Their billing system is not networked and we urge ZESA to decentralize it for the convenience of citizens.    

This anomaly is costing residents billions of dollars in transport costs as they have to travel to the City centre to pay their electricity bills to avoid being disconnected. Power supplies have remained inconsistent with the southern part of Mbare being subjected to 12-16 hour daily power outages without explanation.

Residents of Mbare are disappointed with the Municipal District Office for its failure to provide refuse bins, forcing residents to create hazardous dumpsites. A dumpsite between Kabona, Gondo, Chimutenga, and Chimukwapuro Closes poses a health risk to citizens. Others are near Chitsere Primary School at Corner Runyararpo Road and Dumbutshena Street, and also at the intersection of Daniel Street and Mbirimi Street. The dumping site along Pazarangu Way is growing by the day. Garbage has not been collected for about a month now. This is unacceptable to Mbare residents. Mr Banda said: If residents are paying monthly bills for once a week refuse collection, the council must do its work and be accountable for our money. We will engage them on this issue to find a lasting solution.

Food Security: All shops in Mbare do not have mealie meal, the nation’s staple food. Several shop owners told the Trust that they last had mealie-meal deliveries in March. A programme that had been started by some NGOs to feed poor residents ceased ahead of the March 29 harmonised elections. Residents are starving and welcome any assistance rendered.

Peace-building: The MRT is alive to the current political environment which has left residents anxious about their security and people suspicious of each other. The Trust urges Mbare residents, particularly ZANU PF and MDC supporters to remain calm and promote peaceful co-existence among the citizenry. We will soon be discussing ways of building a peaceful community with the police, the church and other stakeholders.

Security: The Trust is concerned with reports of muggings around Chitsere Primary School and will this week meet the School Development Association (SDA) to discuss solutions that ensure the safety of young girls and women at night. The wall around the school has been partly vandalized, allowing some burglars to hide their loot inside the school premises.  The Vice secretary Luck Timbenavo Rice on Thursday led residents to cut overgrown bushes at the corner of Dumbutshena Street and Runyararo road.

Road Infrastructure: Most roads in Mbare are in a state of disrepair. Like in most parts of Harare, the road network in Mbare has deep and wide potholes, costing motorists billions of dollars in motor spares and maintenance. Residents are also at risky of twisting their ankles at night as the streets are in darkness.

For details, reports and comments contact us on mbaretrust@yahoo.com