Priscilla Charumbira

Service / Career

2019 to Present (2020) – Land Development Control Manager / Town Planner, city of Harare.

Events

At a stakeholders meeting in February 2019, Harare town planner Priscilla Charumbira, said input from other surrounding local authorities will be incorporated. They are:

• Chitungwiza,
• Zvimba,
• Goromonzi,
• Ruwa,
• Manyame,
• Epworth,
• Norton,
• Beatrice,
• Mazowe,
• Marondera
• Bindura.

The study process for the new master plan is expected to have completed by April and the master plan by December 2019. The master plan will help city officials deal with challenges such as traffic congestion, mass public transport, rural-to-urban migration, poor service provision and rapid population growth. Deputy director in the Physical Planning Department under the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Diana Chimhanda urged the city officials to come up with objective surveys. ^[1]

In October 2019, it was reported that CoH has no plans or initiatives to protect wetlands amid potable water supply challenges as the city’s water supply system is under threat. The final report of the Special Committee (SC) on land sales and leases, appointed by Mayor Herbert Gomba exposed the ineptitude of the council in dealing with the unresolved wetlands issue. The SC investigations revealed that City of Harare has an extensive network of wetlands, but these have been deliberately affected through illegal occupations, unlawful developments by private individuals as well as approved development by the City of Harare. The protection of wetlands falls under the Director, Department of Works, Isiah Chawatama, who confirmed in the investigations that there is no single activity or initiative in the City of Harare to protect wetlands. Other heads of departments which have been tasked to protect wetlands, Land Development Control Manager Priscilla Charumbira and Chief Town Planning Officer Samuel Nyabeza are approving commercial abstraction of water on wetlands.
The SC emphasised in its recommendations that all developments on wetlands should be demolished, and that all contracts and permits on wetlands be renegotiated, or cancelled as they affected the normal functioning of wetlands. The SC also recommended that the City of Harare be declared a wetland city, and mechanisms and support be sought from the Ramsar secretariat to access resources for the protection of wetlands. The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. The SC recommended that the Department of Planning be divorced from that of Works as coordination challenges were identified. There is no office specifically designated to deal with wetlands issues. Section 113 of the EMA Act states that it’s an offence to reclaim or drain any wetland; adversely affect any animal or plant life on a wetland; introduce any exotic or plant species into the wetland or disturb any wetland by drilling or tunnelling in a manner that has or is likely to have adverse impact. However, many wetlands have been drained for construction purposes like the one in the Tynwald North area where a private school is being built and the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) wetland area has had a lot of exotic trees planted, and a service station is reportedly being constructed.
In a published document, Lawyers for Human Rights have questioned why existing laws are failing to protect wetlands. The laws, however, are not being fully and properly implemented. “Frequently, the legislation is ignored or deliberately misrepresented and distorted in order to meet various objectives which are at variance to meet the needs of wetlands,” read the publication. None of the Department of Works staffers had any expertise or training in environmental issues. Recommendations stated that all wetlands should be mapped with expert input and their territorial footprints legislated. ^[2]