The public meetings are a platform for the residents to air out their service delivery concerns which ensures that HRT engages in evidence based advocacy for institutional reform. These public meetings are a fulfillment of the HRT mission which is to build capacity for productive engagement among citizens, their elected representatives and service providers as means to improve living standards in communities/ suburbs. A public meeting was held in Mabvuku in collaboration with the City of Harare water department. The City of Harare has embarked on consultative process on the issue of the debts that the residents in Harare have in their water accounts and to gather their concerns on water supplies.
HRT Agenda
City of Harare 2011 budget.
Key service delivery concerns.
1.1. Welcome Remarks: Reverend Andrew Mutambu, the Chairperson of the Mabvuku Residents Committee welcomed all the participants. Residents leaders from Tafara, Mbare, Sunningdale, Chizhanje, and Waterfalls came in solidarity.
1.2. Proceedings:
Andrew Mutambu briefly introduced the HRT saying it had been established to push for effective representation of Harare residents in local governance issues. The HRT was established at a time service delivery had collapsed, affecting the welfare of the residents in Harare communities. He said that the HRT focuses on encouraging the residents of Harare to speak out on issues that affects them in as far as community service delivery is concerned. Through this they are able to influence the institutions that were established to serve the interests of residents.
1.3. Key Service Delivery Issues:
Mutambu said the public meeting was an opportunity for the residents of Mabvuku to express their views on service delivery. He said that the HRT gathers information on the service delivery issues affecting communities and documented them, and subsequently engages service providers.
Residents Issues that emerged:
Although the City of Harare has attempted to restore water supplies in the community, the low water pressure is affecting household activities, exposing the communities to diseases.
Refuse collection in the community is erratic. Refuse is seen dumped in the open spaces and along roads. There is no refuse collection schedule which they can follow.
Roads in the community are heavily potholed, affecting motorists and pedestrians.
The water bills are so expensive and unaffordable for the residents. Most elderly residents live in constant fear that the council might repossess their houses due to failure to pay the high bills.
The residents condemned the councils rent- to- buy housing program saying it was unclear and open to manipulation. They have not received their title deeds yet they have been paying for the last 30 or more years. There is no clarity on the process of acquiring title deeds. The Mabvuku residents feel that the council should have given them title deeds for their houses way back.
1.4. The HRT Membership Officer said that water is a basic human right and the City of Harare should ensure that the residents of Mabvuku get adequate supplies to ensure that there is no threat to community health. On the issue of unaffordability of the water bills he said that affordability of key services to residents is an issue of concern to the HRT. The HRT strives to ensure that the residents of Harare get affordable and quality services from their service providers. To ensure that the residents of Mabvuku and Harare at large afford services from their chief service provider the City of Harare, the HRT has intensified its budget advocacy work by taking the budget issue to court as the City of Harare is violating the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29:15). He said that the HRT is not promising to solve the raised concerns but will ensure that the city authorities take action on the mentioned problems. He also said that the HRT also encourages the residents of Harare to be jealous for their environment by protecting it. This can be done through avoiding unnecessary dumping of waste in the environment. He gave the opportunity for Tafara residents committee chairperson Onismo Mushonga to present the expectations of the residents for the 2011 budget. These were as follows:
1.5. Residents Expectations of the 2011 City Budget:
The HRT Tafara residents chairperson Onismo Mushonga read out the topical issues in the proposed 2011 City of Harare budget. Emphasis was mainly on the proposed figures for 2011 on housing, refuse collection, sewerage, water and health or council clinic fees. This was done in comparison with the suggested figures by the communities, under the Harare Residents Trust (HRT).
Refuse – $ 1, Rentals – $5, Fixed Water Charge -$2, Sewerage reticulation – $2, Cemetery charges – $10
Maternity fees- between $20 and $30, Supplementary charges – $1, Clinic charges – $1 or US$2 for consultation fees for children.
Parking in CBD – $1 per day, Hall booking – $25
Library fees -$1 per month, Flea market to reduce by 50% current rates
Council schools to reduce by 40%
Salaries and administration the residents want the city to reduce by 20 percent its workforce in the 2011 City budget.
Onismo Mushonga said that these expectations were not met in the process of formulating the 2011 City budget. He then gave the HRT membership officer the platform to address the Mabvuku residents on the budget advocacy.
1.6. HRT Update on the budget
The membership officer said that the budget is a critical determinant in community service delivery by the City council. The budget affects service delivery in a lot of ways. If it is unaffordable then residents are unable to pay for services like refuse collection and water supplies, consequently the community suffer. He said that even if few individuals pay in their monthly bills while the majority fails to pay, services will still be affected as the councils revenue base is diminished. He accused the City of Harare of declaring war on the residents of Harare who are already in huge debts. The 2011 City Budget was ill-formulated and exorbitant making it beyond the reach of many. He said that the residents expectations and views were never considered in the budget formulation process. He called on residents to defend their rights without any fear or hesitation. The HRT held two budget analysis meetings, proposed figures and presented them to the council for consideration in December 2010. He said that at the second meeting the HRT resolved to follow the law to reject the budget, objected to by 374 residents. He said that it is now time for the residents of Harare to show the City authorities that they have power. The HRT has submitted papers in the High Court challenging the legality of the 2011 City Budget. In the meantime, residents were urged to unite and pay US$15 for all rates and services every month. This will keep the City running but will bite them in the long run as they will realize the futility of a top-down approach to management of public affairs.
1.7. Presentations from the City of Harare water department:
The representatives from Harare water were from the engineering, finance, public relations and technical department.
On the Water departments Agenda
Arrears
Installing new water meter readers
The water department pledged to establish a good working relationship with residents across Harare. The relationship has broken down due to the poor services that are being offered and the unavailability of water in the communities.
Key Issues Raised by the City Water Department:
The residents have outstanding debts which differ individually in their water accounts which they will have to clear.
Residents go to their district offices and negotiate for a payment plan.
Residents pay at least 10% of their water debts by end of April 2011.
That failure to make a payment plan by 30 April 2011 would result in water cuts and then legal action against the residents will the follow.
That they have to negotiate through their councillors if they want the debts to be frozen but the likelihood is very low.
That it takes a lot of financial resources for the department to pump water from Norton dam to Mabvuku which justifies the water bills.
That the department acknowledges that there was no water supply in the community for five years but did not bill residents for water but for the departments infrastructure.
That when the Harare water department took over service from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA), it did not carry over any money into the residents accounts but just $10.
That the City of Harare did not have any conversion of current balance when the economy was dollarized in the February 2009 which is in fact public knowledge.
1.8. Residents feedback
The residents of Mabvuku showed so much disgruntlement to what the City of Harare water department had said. The residents were very angry with the authorities and said that they would not go to their district offices to negotiate a payment plan. They said that the City of Harare billed them for the period there was no were no water supplies in the community and this resulted in huge debts accumulating in their accounts. They said that if the City of Harare would want to restore back a working relationship with them there is need for the City to remove or scrap off all the accumulated debts which they have and start on a fresh note. The residents said that the water supplies the departments are claiming to have restored are not reliable as water pressure is low and water is not available during the night hours. About cutting off water supplies, the residents said they were had no choice if the City authorities cut supplies. They said that unavailability of water supplies has always been the normal part of their life in the community. What the City of Harare should realize is that access to water is a basic human right and denying them water would be a violation of their rights.
These are some of the phrases captured during the heated discussions; zvamunotaura hazvife zvakaitika, pasi ne City of Harare pamberi ne HRT inzwi remugari, muchadzoka zvenyu, hapana zvohukama apa, murikuba mari chete, hamadzadiwa tarirai motokari idzo dze kanzuro
Analysis of the meeting
The HRT team noted that the level of participation at the meeting was extremely high. The residents received the HRT presentations on the City budget with so much interest and enthusiasm. The appreciated the work that the HRT is doing on the budget issue. The HRT team observed that the City of Harare is trying to impose what it feels is the way forward on the residents. This is failure to acknowledge that the residents are very bitter on the water issue and several other concerns. City officials who participated at this meeting were clearly out of touch with residents. There is no doubt that there will be increased resistance from the residents on rates payment and the clearing of the debts in their water accounts.
HRT Message to the Residents of Harare:
? Residents of Harare in both high and low density suburbs should only pay a fixed rate of US$15 to the City of Harare every month, and keep receipts, to ensure that they are up to date with their rentals and rates. This will go on until the City of Harare has acceded to the demands of the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29:15) and the finalization of the court case which the HRT has filed with the High Court.
? All the debts should be scrapped off from the residents accounts to ensure that they start a working relationship with the Harare water department of a fresh page as there is a strong conviction that the residents were billed for none existent services.
? Residents should not fear water cuts or legal action by the City of Harare as cutting supplies is a violation of human fundamental rights themselves.
? The decision by the Water department to consult the residents on the arrears is an indication that the residents have power and that the department desperately requires financial resources from the residents it is time that the residents of Harare move from the closed consciousness stage, assume power and show public institutions like the City of Harare that the as the people you have the power for social change and institutional reform.
Contact Details: For any feedback comments on this meeting please contact the HRT Coordinator on 0772869294 or call the membership officer on 0773249039 email us on hretrust@yahoo.com
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