Harare City Council to start providing services like water to Caledonia settlement

Appearing before the Irene Zindi-led Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni revealed that Harare City Council will now begin providing services like water to Caledonia settlement in line with a Presidential proclamation which placed the area under the jurisdiction of the capital.

He told MPs that council had no choice but to legalise the settlement now housing more than 30 000 households. Manyenyeni said demolitions will not be done except for areas, which were inhabitable and posing danger to humans.  Under the new arrangement, Harare will take over administration of Caledonia from Goromonzi Rural District Council. The settlement will now draw its water from Mabvuku Tafara reservoir, which itself receives erratic supplies.

Manyenyeni told the committee that banning of co-operatives was a better way to flush out land barons, who politicised settlements and fleeced people of their money.