Peter Tanyanyiwa
Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume has said the municipality will in the near future council have to slightly adjust its rates to be in a position to provide good service delivery to residents.
He was speaking to Ward 17 residents who converged at the Mt Pleasant Performance Rehabilitation center over the weekend to congratulate their local councillor for being elected as the new Mayor of Harare.
As the congratulatory messages poured in, residents had some tough questions for the new Mayor as they wanted assurance that council would provide good service delivery.
“Council is not performing as it is supposed to because along the way when each sector was adjusting their rates for different commodities and services we were stuck in one place, and it’s time we try and fix that, in the near future we are going to have a conversation where we will consult residents to allow us to slightly adjust our rates.
“Let’s get my message clear, we won’t be increasing anything but slightly adjusting so that we can be in a position to afford fuel for our resufe collection trucks and and water treatment chemicals,” said Mayor Mafume.
Also in attendance was the former Mayor of Harare and Ward 17 resident Mr Bernard Manyenyeni, the Mt Pleasant district officer Mrs Mverechena, Council staff, and top athletes who train at the Mt Pleasant Performance Rehabilitation Center.
The Mayor took the opportunity to address residents over his mandate and the pressing issues the City is currently facing.
He said that the City’s vision remains the same, unfortunately the problems also remain the same, but his mandate is clear, to provide and facilitate good service delivery, topping the list being water supply.
Currently two dams have been decommissioned and are dry, one plant that used to get water from the dams has been shut down.
Harare is currently relying on Lake Chivero and Manyame dam. According to the Engineers the city still has water to last residents some months, the main challenge is still that of purchasing water treatment chemicals in United Sates dollars.
On refuse collection, the Mayor said the Council was also having problems with fuel for their trucks in the recent past, but from last week this situation had slightly improved, and residents can attest to this.