Staff Reporter
Harare residents from Highfield, Glenview, and Budiriro suburbs are crying out for help over the waste management and sewage maintenance crisis as a result of poor service delivery by the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC)-led Harare City Council.
"Garbage is piling up on our streets, and raw sewage is bursting all over the place," lamented Tendai Moyo, a Highfield resident.
"The stench is unbearable, and we fear water bone diseases especially in this rainy season. This situation has gone on for years and it’s time for it to be permanently addressed,” he said.
Local store owners and food vendors are also struggling due to the unsanitary conditions.
"How can I sell food in an environment like this? It's almost impossible," said Tawanda Ncube, who runs a takeaway in Glenview.
The crisis, residents said, is due to the mismanagement and misuse of funds which residents pay as rates on a monthly basis. The rates are meant to improve service delivery, including waste management and sewage maintenance.
"We always pay rates every month to the Council, but we don't see any improvements in service delivery . Where is the money going," asked a Budiriro resident, Patricia Chikomba.
Residents have expressed their frustration at the CCC, saying that the party has failed to deliver on its promises.
“CCC has really failed us, they promise one thing and deliver another," said Moyo.
Their distress is also echoed by local business owners. According to Ncube, "If the situation remains the same, I might close my business. It's a health hazard to my customers and my family as well."
The residents' complaints highlight a broader issue affecting the Harare Metropolitan Province Harare's urban areas that include the Chitungwiza Municipality, which is also reeling under poor service delivery by a CCC-dominated Council. The current situation in Highfield, Glenview, and Budiriro is a stark reminder of the urban governance crisis, with residents bearing the brunt of the Council's alleged incompetence and corruption.
Residents are now calling for immediate intervention from Government. "The Government should step in to save us. We can't continue living like this," said Chikomba.
As the city’s urban crisis deepens, the CCC-led council’s ability to manage resources and deliver essential services is under intense scrutiny. The residents’ outcry serves as a resounding call for better governance and accountability by the City fathers.
Service delivery has been on the decline since 2000 when the opposition took over from ZANU PF. The situation has been worse over the past five years when Nelson Chamisa took over the leadership of the opposition, whose councillors have dominated urban local authorities since 2000.
Attempts by this publication to get a comment from the Harare City Council, hit a brick wall as Inspector Mhembere referred all questions to the City of Harare Spokesperson, who could not be reached as his phone numbers went unanswered.
