No Harare rate cuts, Masunda

Masunda, who last week told The Zimbabwean on Sunday that his council was planning to reclaim the Harare Power Station from the government because the thermal station is a potential revenue earner power, said the city had managed to operate without borrowings and revenue inflows had improved since he got into the office in July last year.

Basically we have been relying on rates, licences and now that we have water back (from Zinwa), it has been some source of revenue. Very soon it will be electricity added to that list of sources of revenue. We want to reclaim the Harare Power Station back because, traditionally, the source of revenue for the city has always been the rates, electricity and licences, said Masunda.

Asked why the city continued to experience water supply problems, Masunda said the city needed to repair or replace the old water pipes that were losing water through leaks.

The system has not received the care it deserves for the past 20 or so years. So that is why you see many leaks. Also, we need to have an uninterrupted supply of power, which is why we are anxious to get our power supplies back. It was taken from the city in 1986 without any compensation, said Masunda.

He added: In addition, we need to reclaim water. There are two are two sewage reticulation in Harare, one at Firle (after Glen View) and at Crowbrough (after Mufakose). These two sewage plants should treat 144 megalitres of raw sewage.

The plants have not been working for the past five years. That compounds the problem of treatment of water because when water gets to Morton Jeffrey some of the processes which ought to have happened at the sewage plants do not happen.

Relationship with Chombo

Commenting on his relationship with Minister of Local Government Ignatious Chombo who has been accused of interfering with councils, the mayor said: I would say there has been direct interference. You see Ignatious Chombo purporting to rescind on some council resolutions made.

An example is the reinstatement of Misheck Mubvumbi, the city treasurer and Christopher Magwenzi Zvobgo, as the director of works. My position has been very clear, in respect of the two gentlemen; the council is not in the business of defying court orders. Who are we to ignore that court order?

The council led by Sekesai Makwavarara fired Zvobgo but the Supreme Court ordered his reinstatement. While Mubvumbi was relieved of his duties but no charges had been formally preferred against him.

Masunda said the city was working to avoid a repeat of a cholera outbreak which claimed more than 5 000 lives in Zimbabwe last year.

On reports that he had bought two cars for him and his wife using ratepayers money when the city had many problems, Masunda said the two cars would be used only on council businesses.

He added: There were three vehicles in that office, (including) a Mercedes S320 that was bought during Mudzuri’s term and was used by Makwavarara as well. By the time I came in, that car was past its economical repair. It had already been resolved that it was due for replacement.