HARARE – The Harare City Council and Chitungwiza Municipality are at risk of missing next week’s deadline for submitting their long-term developmental blueprints to the government, a key requirement mandated by President Mnangagwa last year.
This development has been confirmed by Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe during his recent tour of the Victoria Falls Urban Renewal Programme.
In 2022, President Mnangagwa instructed all local authorities to develop comprehensive masterplans to guide urban renewal and enhance service delivery across the nation. The deadline for submitting these masterplans is June 30, a date that is fast approaching.
Minister Garwe, while generally pleased with the progress made by most local authorities, expressed significant concern regarding Harare and Chitungwiza. “I am happy to report that the majority of our local authorities are meeting the deadline,” he said.
“We are here in Victoria Falls; they had a meeting yesterday (Wednesday) to finalize the masterplan and the valuation rolls, which they have already finished. The majority of the local authorities are going to be meeting the June 30 deadline. It has, however, emerged that Harare and Chitungwiza are lagging behind.”
Minister Garwe pointed to a lack of commitment, incompetence, or inefficiency as potential reasons for the slow progress of Harare and Chitungwiza. “The only councils facing significant challenges seem to be Harare and Chitungwiza,” he noted. “The Government will be taking a different approach to address the situation in Harare and Chitungwiza.”
Despite spending nearly US$3 million on developing its master plan, Harare has failed to keep pace with the majority of other local authorities. In contrast, the City of Victoria Falls has reported substantial progress. Victoria Falls town clerk, Mr. Ronnie Dube, highlighted the near completion of their masterplan. “Our masterplan is nearly complete,” Dube said. “We finalized the written statement yesterday (Wednesday), and it received overwhelming support from residents and stakeholders. Now, we just need council approval.”
As the June 30 deadline looms, the pressure mounts on Harare and Chitungwiza to expedite their efforts and align with the government’s directive to ensure comprehensive urban development and improved service delivery. The government’s response to these delays will be closely watched in the coming days. – Sunday Mail
