Harare’s 2025 pipe dream

via HARARE’S 2025 PIPE DREAM – The Sunday Mail April 5 2015

ABOUT three years ago, the Harare City Council launched an ambitious vision aimed at turning Harare into a world class city by the year 2025.

It’s now exactly 10 years to go before the fruition of the project which has come to be known as Harare Vision 2025.

On paper, the Harare Vision 2025 gospel sounds like sweet music to the ear of ordinary citizens, as it pledges an improved lifestyle such as a hot city economy and a hot night life.

Added to that, are the irresistible luxuries of a premium mass transit system, a young urbanised population, a regional transport hub and enough vehicle parking space.

In line with international best practices, a world-class city also provides a highly suburbanised population and also a highly ranked local research centre, which makes the pursuing of the vision a worthwhile adventure for many a Harare resident.

However, major stakeholders in the Harare Vision 2025 drive, are of the view that the envisaged vision though a noble idea, is now far-fetched.

They argue that although it is evident that some world-class status defined essentialities and features are already visible in the obtaining status quo, the city fathers have dismally failed to come to the party in the provision of “fundamental necessities” of any city worth its salt, let alone a world-class city.

This includes the provision of basic essentialities such as potable water to residents, efficient refuse collection, good road network and an efficient education and health delivery system.

Harare Residents Trust (HRT) director, Mr Precious Shumba, says Harare Vision 2025 will remain a pipe dream and a blank blueprint.

“The City of Harare lacks the leadership to achieve Vision 2025,” he said.

“They lack the drive and appreciation of what really needs to be done, as their major focus is centred on personal accumulation of wealth.

He said the Urban Councils Act should be amended to give council committees and the full council more powers and authority to play their oversight roles, if the envisaged vision is to be achieved.

“Currently, policymakers are compromised because more authority has been transferred to city bureaucrats who are being shielded from public scrutiny, weakening their accountability to the citizens,” said Mr Shumba.

The Greater Harare Association of Commuter Operators expressed dissatisfaction with the contribution of the city authorities in availing a proper transport system in the city.

They argue that there is need for new commuter omnibuses termini with adequate facilities such as sheds and ablution facilities.

“The population of both the vehicles and people has increased significantly owing to the de-regulation of the transport sector, hence the ranking facilities of inter-city, rural and satellite commuter operators is inadequate and obsolete and must be upgraded,” said a senior member in the organisation.

“It boggles the mind as to how the authorities are failing to provide such vital necessities, considering that each commuter omnibus is being levied $100 as rank fee per quarter of a year,” he said.

The organisation also castigated the involvement of senior police and council officials in the transport business, which they said heavily compromised the sector as it provides a conflict of interest. However, Harare City town clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi remains optimistic that the vision 2025 crusade will come to realisation gradually.

“We are just beginning our journey and as they say that the first steps are the hardest, but I have no doubt that we will attain world class status by 2025,” he said.

He urged Harare residents to take note of the fact that attaining the vision was a process which obviously was going to take time.

Dr Mahachi pointed at the inroads towards the achievement of the vision the council has made so far in the provision of service delivery:

“Water supply has been improved and in some cases restored in suburbs such as Mabvuku, Hatcliffe, Budiriro, Dzivarasekwa, areas that has not been receiving water for many years.

“We are currently in the process of installing pressure reducing valves and replacing water pipes so as to curb water leakages,” he said.

Dr Mahachi said council had increased water production from 450 to 522 mega litres and they had prioritised availing potable water to all Harare residents by year end.

He also said Council was set to introduce a Geographical Information System, so that people can monitor water supply systems in the city online.

On the transport sector, Dr Mahachi said council was in the process of revamping the whole system and introduce a mass transit system.

“We are in the process of acquiring relevant buses that will be efficient and reliable and increase mobility. What I can tell you is that there are investors that have expressed interest in supplying the buses,” he said.

“So yes, we have plans to have a mass transit system, and we have also plans for flyovers, that will reduce congestion,” he said.

He said they were also prioritising that the current road systems, which have been a nightmare to many motorists was made more navigable as a matter of urgency.

Dr Mahachi said they were also rehabilitating Mbudzi and Mbare bus terminus so that the two accommodate buses that ply regional routes. “We are also building a truck inn facility at Mbudzi so that heavy trucks do not park everywhere in the city,” he said.

On addressing the informal sector anomaly which has seen the central business district being congested with illegal vendors, Dr Mahachi said council was in the process of constructing three informal sector complexes.

“We are constructing a complex, the Shawasha business complex at Shawasha grounds in Mbare and there is also another one that is being built along Beatrice road,” he said.

He said the other business complex was set to be constructed along Simon Muzenda Street (formerly Fourth Street).

“The Shawasha business complex will accommodate more than 6 000 informal traders, whilst the Beatrice road complex will accommodate more than 2 000 vendors.”

He said these complexes will be all encompassing as hyper supermarkets and sporting facilities will also be constructed at these sites, thus contributing in part to the city becoming a world-class city.

However, skeptics have pointed out to what they say is the below standard state of these facilities, which they say cannot match world-class standards.

Pointing out to the state of housing facilities in the city, Dr Mahachi said they have already started sprucing up dilapidated housing structures in suburbs such as Mbare, to the standards needed for human habitation by the city authorities.

On the health front, Dr Mahachi said they had rehabilitated and revamped the Edith Opperman maternity hospital, which to its credit records the highest number of new born babies in the country.

“We knew it was a critical clinic thus we have revamped it and we have finished working on it, and to that end, we are upgrading the Mabvuku Polyclinic.

“We have partners who have pledged to assist us such as The Ministry of Health and Child Care which will chip in with $200 000 into the project, another philanthropist is giving $300 000 and another donor, Trust Givers Organisation, which is going to provide machinery and hospital equipment,” he said.

He said this will be done to all polyclinics around the city, so that they match world-class standards and de-congest the biggest referral hospitals.

During the launch of the blueprint about three years ago, Local Government Minister, Dr Ignatius Chombo said: “Your success is our success as a Ministry and country.

However, he also urged residents to play their part by paying utility bills so as to enable the council to drive its vision without financial hindrance.