Residents say Harare meetings are ‘just talk shows’

The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) this week launched a broadside against city fathers, blaming them for failing to consult ratepayers during policy-making.

After hinting that they had invoked the Freedom of Information Act to force the council to act transparently, the CHRA said the consultations held were “symbolic” gestures intended to tick boxes.

This comes at a time when Harare has been caught in a decline in service delivery marked by severe water shortages, a cholera outbreak and a malfunctioning waste disposal system.

The Freedom of Information Act stipulates that every Zimbabwean citizen or permanent resident, including Zimbabwean legal entities and media, has the right to access any information held by the State or any public institution or government agency at all times. levels, to the extent that the information is necessary in the public interest.

CHRA director Ruben Akili told the Zimbabwe Independent that Harare should establish interactive platforms with its more than one million residents.

He added that residents should be consulted when formulating bylaws and budgets, among other policies.

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“We have seen that to the extent that residents are consulted, policies do not even see the imprint of citizens’ voices in terms of the policy that emerges,” Akili said.

“Local authority must go back to basics and provide platforms for participation. The policy-making process must not be devoid of the voices of citizens or residents.”

The CHRA boss required quarterly feedback meetings with councilors to share progress in implementing council resolutions, while also addressing service delivery priorities raised by residents.

However, he warned that councilors were not eager to hold such meetings.

Akili’s concerns were shared by Precious Shumba, director of Harare Residents Trust.

“The City of Harare needs to substantially consult and use input from residents, especially in budget formulation. Most of the time, council technocrats draw up draft budgets, but they rarely take residents’ input into account. (This is evident) when the final budget proposals are reviewed,” she said.

“This is one of the reasons why most residents do not value neighborhood budget consultation processes because they consider them cosmetic and symbolic to comply with legal requirements.”

The City of Harare did not respond to questions sent last week.

The Independent was also told that residents were pushing for greater accountability and effective governance.

“The information gap between residents and local authorities has created perceptions of mismanagement, perceptions of looting, perceptions of abuse of public resources,” Akili said.

“We have started to engage the Zimbabwe Media Commission to play that refereeing role and ensure that residents receive information.”

Akili noted that the CHRA had requested information on the regularization of about 500 stands in Harare and housing development, which are being carried out along the Mutare Highway.

“You realize that the local authority has refused to disclose such information and we have also made a request for information on the Pomona issue,” he said.

“But again we have done it because the information that is being given to residents is not adequate.”