The Harare City Council announced today that it was decentralising council services to district level to enhance “efficiency, effectiveness and accountability.”
In a press statement Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni said that the 20 districts will retain 25 percent of revenue collected for the development of the respective districts and that each district will have its own bank account and will plan its own priorities. The districts will form part of eight operational zones which are divided as follows:
- Zone 1: CBD, Mbare and Sunningdale
- Zone 2: Hatfield and Waterfalls
- Zone 3: Highfield, Glen Norah and Hopley
- Zone 4: Budiriro, Glen View, Mufakose and marimba
- Zone 5: Kambuzuma, Kuwadzana and Dzivarasekwa
- Zone 6: Mabelreign, Marlborough, Warren Park, and Mt Pleasant
- Zone 7: Borrowdale, Hatcliffe, Greendale, and Highlands
- Zone 8: Tafara, Mabvuku and Caledonia
These zones will be led by a Chief Admin Officer under whose command will be all service delivery staff. Each zone will have its own plant and equipment and will devise its own work programmes that align to the city’s vision. The services to be offered at the local level include water and sewer services, road maintenance, public lighting, cleansing services, town planning and development control, building inspectorate services, health and licensing services, housing, education and social services, parks and cemeteries and revenue collection and enforcement of bylaws. Council mentioned that a training workshop of the affected staffers will be convened soon to appraise them of their new role and the work ahead of them.