By Kundai Marunya
CITY of Harare’s plans to borrow US$21 million to boost service delivery have raised eyebrows as the council continuously fails to account for previous loans and revenue.
Harare recently published a notice in the press seeking permission to borrow US$21 299 800 to finance various service delivery initiatives.
A proposed budget for the loan published by the cash-strapped council raises questions as, among other capital projects, the upgrade of three bus termini is pegged at an outrageous US$2 million.
The city intends to buy five refuse compactors at a cost of US$600 000 and 52 tractors costing US$2,6 million.
This translates to each tractor costing approximately US$50 000, an outrageous amount way above the normal market price.
Additionally, the Harare City Council is also seeking to buy vehicles valued at US$1,3 million, a front-end loader pegged at US$157 500 and a solar-powered borehole estimated at US$8 500.
A snap market survey showed that a solar-powered borehole costs around US$2 000 depending on depth and quality of material.
The outrageous spending comes at a time the city is under fire for its failure to deliver basic services to residents while top executives pocket obscene salaries.
This situation has been brewing for years, with recent revelations bringing the council’s malpractices under public scrutiny.
A Commission of Inquiry, chaired by retired High Court judge Justice Maphios Cheda, has unveiled that council’s top executives collectively earn approximately US$500 000 monthly.
The Town Clerk, Hosiah Chisango, reportedly takes home around US$30 000, while other executives earn between US$15 000 and US$30 000 per month.
These figures are said to not have not been approved by the Ministry of Local Government, raising questions about this oversight deficit.
In stark contrast, lower-grade employees (Grades 15 to 4) receive a meagre US$150 per month.
Essential service providers, including fire brigade personnel and health workers in municipal clinics, have reportedly gone unpaid since December 2024.
The city’s service delivery has deteriorated to an extent of becoming a ticking health time bomb. Residents in areas like Mabvuku have endured over a decade without running water.
Even Town House, the council’s headquarters, lacks adequate water supply, resorting to a bucket system for ablution.
The toilets at Town House lack basics such as lighting while the building continues to deteriorate.
The once revered face of Sunshine City needs major renovations from the worn-out flooring to an aged ceiling, while a basic paint job can also liven the building.
Public toilets have been neglected, posing serious health hazards.
At Fourth Street terminus, the stench of urine engulfs the entire area around the ablution facility, while a bucket system is also used in the rundown facility.
Most of the time, the toilets are out of order, or the council workers deployed there choose to shut them down while they ostensibly ‘clean’ them.
Council workers seem to be colluding with enterprising individuals who have since set up mobile pay toilets.
The drainage system is in a state of hocking disrepair, leading to perennial flash floods in the Central Business District. Notably, Fourth Street (Simon Muzenda) terminus experienced severe flooding, compelling pedestrians to wade through ankle-deep flood waters.
In Msasa, near Bhola Hardware, heavy rains resulted in water levels rising up to 20cm inside garages and shops, causing challenges for vehicles with low clearance along Mutare Road.
There are serious concerns over City of Harare’s history of mismanaging loans, which has exacerbated its debt without tangible improvements in service delivery.
Historically, the Harare City Council has grappled with financial mismanagement and poor service delivery since time immemprial.
In 2019, residents expressed frustration over uncollected garbage, erratic water supplies and deteriorating infrastructure.
The central Government has had to intervene to improve refuse collection, declaring a state of emergency, thus allowing Operation Chenesa Harare to run under the Environmental Management Agency (EMA).
We have o late witnessed the collection of stockpiles of rubbish — which is commendable — but what defies logic is why other towns’ rubbish collection units had to be roped in!
In the high-density suburbs, we have recently seen compactors with Mutare City Council, Marondera Town Council logos as well as Bitumen construction vehicles clearing illegal dump sites, sometimes under heavily armed guards.
Kutsva kwendebvu tinodzimurana, but at what cost to the ratepayer!
Who is actually benefitting from this seemingly philanthropic act?
Despite residents’ continuing to pay hefty bills and rates, services have remained poor or non-existent.
A 2022 study highlighted that the city’s challenges are deeply embedded in political conflicts and economic mismanagement, affecting urban development and service provision.
The Commission of Inquiry also highlighted other issues, such as the mysterious disappearance of over US$4,5 million loan advanced to council’s subsidiary, Harare Quarry. There is also the sale of 10 000 unserviced residential and commercial stands in areas like Mabvuku and Warren Park, leading to an estimated loss of US$20 million.
These revelations have sparked public outrage, with residents and stakeholders calling for immediate reforms to address the financial rot and improve the city’s service delivery.
“Implementing robust financial management systems, such as the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, can help streamline operations and ensure transparency in financial transactions,” says financial consultant John Vengesa.
“This system integrates various operational functions, including general ledger, receipting, inventory, procurement, payroll, budgeting and bank reconciliations.”
In a recent interview with The Herald, Harare Residents’ Trust director Precious Shumba echoed Vengesa’s sentiments.
“They first have to have a functional, transparent and accountable billing system,” he said.
“Currently, they have failed to plug financial leakages on funds generated by strategic business units and cattle farms and have opaque procurement systems.”
With the council’s track record of mismanagement, Shumba said there is need to address these ‘glaring financial flaws’, first.
“Despite the bad financial situation at the City of Harare, they awarded senior directors, Grade 4, and above, pay-grade vehicle loans worth US$85 000 but failed to think of refuse compactors and waste management.
“Council management and councillors in the responsible committees are both conniving to deceive and loot council funds in the name of service delivery. We reject the borrowing powers being sought. Let the council recover the money paid to a supplier of refuse compactors who delivered single skip trucks instead of the double-skip refuse trucks ordered as per council resolutions. Nothing presently justifies the borrowing powers sought,” said Shumba.
There is need to establish stringent anti-corruption measures and ensure that top executives are held accountable for their actions.
This can be achieved through regular audits, independent oversight bodies, and strict enforcement of anti-corruption laws.
As it is, alarming revelations have been made but there is no clear action to redress what Mayor Jacob Mafume has out rightly pointed to be misplaced priorities.
Recently, council executives where accused of wasting hundreds of thousands annually on workshops yet no improvement is made in service delivery to justify the exorbitant spending.
Though strongly denounced, the practice continues. The situation at the City of Harare, however, has become a common phenomenon in many sectors spheres of life in the country as various sectors which are failing to deliver on services paid for.
It has now evolved into a culture!
The justification always falls on how delivering such a service would inconvenience the contracted party.
Many service providers consider their convenience first over that of their clients, thus the general populace is always short-changed.
Harare City Council’s failure to deliver basic services has left residents frustrated and demanding change.
By implementing the proposed reforms, the council can address its current challenges and work towards becoming a more efficient and accountable administrative body. The residents of Harare deserve better, and it is high time that the council prioritises residents’ needs over self-aggrandisement.
