Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
The Combined Harare Residents Association is an umbrella organisation for Harare area citizens' associations. The total population embraced by CHRA is about 3.5 million people, including 1.5 million in Greater Harare and 2 million in near-by population centers including Chitungwiza, Norton, and Ruwa. CHRA was originally formed to co-ordinate and assist citizens in representing their interests to the elected Council of Harare and to the Executive Branch of Government.
Background
Beginning in 1999 and at present, CHRA has expanded its mandate to include a programme of advocacy at the level of Parliament as an institution, so that the views of the constituent association members of CHRA can be heard at a national level. In conjunction with its Parliamentary advocacy programme, CHRA has established an Advocacy Centre whose essential purpose is to ascertain and analyse ratepayer's concerns germane to the deliberations of the Parliament and, then, to represent those concerns in a programme of advocacy to secure Parliamentary action in the interest of the Harare area ratepayers. Since this advocacy programme is intended to reach national level concerns, CHRA works in close association with Residents' Associations from around the country, in order to combine efforts to secure beneficial Parliamentary action.
Contact Details
Physical address : 12 Oxford Avenue, Newlands, Harare, Zimbabwe
Postal address : PO Box HR7870, Harare, Zimbabwe
Telephone : +263-(0)4-776285, 776268, (0)772-127397, (0)772-345304, (0)773-042981
Email address : info@chra.co.zw; mfundomlilo@gmail.com
Web address : www.chra.co.zw
Events
Devolution
On devolution, Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA), Community Water Alliance (CWA) and Member of Parliament Rusty Markham went to court in 2023, and in October, the High Court ordered that:
Any or all of the respondents shall, within a period of six (6) months, that is to say, by 31 March 2021 submit a bill or Bills for gazetting by the Parliament of Zimbabwe which Bill or Bills will give effect to an Act of Parliament governing the devolution of powers as contemplated in Chapter 14 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
The Minister of Local Government Rural and Urban Development was the first respondent with the Minister of Justice Legal and Financial Affairs being the second respondent the Minister of Finance and Economic Development was the third respondent. The matter was presided over by Justice Mushore. Residents were represented by Mr Tendai Biti, a member of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights. [1]
Pomona Dump deal
Council resolves to cancel deal, August 2022
In August 2022, Harare City Council resolved to cancel the Pomona waste management deal. They also disregarded Local Government minister July Moyo’s order that council pay a US$1,5 million bill due to Geogenix BV for services rendered in May and June at the Pomona waste management energy plant. Mayor Jacob Mafume confirmed that the local authority had cancelled the Pomona deal, saying Moyo must go to court if he was unhappy.
A week before, Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) filed an urgent High Court application seeking an order to set aside a resolution to use the city’s devolution funds to pay Georgenix. CHRA was represented by Archford Rutanhira and Evans Moyo of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR). [2]
References
- ↑ Victory for residents on devolution, Zimbabwe Situation, Published: 2 October 2020, Retrieved: 9 March 2023
- ↑ Harare cancels Pomona waste deal, Newsday, Published: 7 August 2022, Retrieved: 20 April 2023
