Harare Residents Slam Privatisation Of Services

Residents’ associations in Harare have criticised the city’s move to privatise service delivery, saying it is being done without any consultation.

Over the years, the Harare City Council has been gradually handing over various services to private companies, including waste collection, water supply, parking, and infrastructure development.

Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) director Reuben Akili accused the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works of meddling in council affairs. Said Akili:

“Local government is the closest government to the people and the people have to be involved in the decision-making processes, especially on issues that affect them.

“The continued increase in the presence of central government in the affairs of local authorities is worrying.

“What we need to understand around the privatisation agenda in Zimbabwe is that it is being driven by central government and it is imposed on local authorities.”

Harare Residents Trust director Precious Shumba said the public-private partnerships promoted by the City of Harare lacked transparency and accountability. He said:

“These partnerships benefit the negotiators more than the council. Individuals who lead in facilitating have their commission and they lobby others to support them when the matter comes to the committee and the full council.

“The issue also involves protecting the funds generated in the deals, especially the funds remitted to council. There is currently no transparency and accountability.”

Economist Tinotenda Bhunu said privatisation is likely to result in job losses, as some tasks will be taken over by private contractors. Bhunu said:

“Some employees may be retrenched, redeployed or absorbed by private contractors, depending on their skills and the terms of privatisation agreements.

“However, in the long run, the impact could be more delicate: council may shift its focus from direct service provision to regulation, oversight and contract management, requiring a smaller but more skilled workforce. This transition can enhance efficiency and accountability.

Political commentator Rejoice Ngwenya welcomed the privatisation, saying it could revive Harare’s struggling service delivery. He said:

“The residents’ associations are conservative leftist individuals who don’t understand free market economics. You know, they talk about the right to water.

“Everybody has the right to water, but that right does not define who delivers water. That is why if there is a right to information, you go out yourself and get information.

“It is better to have ‘expensive water’ than to have no water at all, waiting for Harare to exercise this constitutional obligation.

“So, I am 100% for privatisation, but I am also 100% for transparency.”

Meanwhile, Harare mayor Jacob Mafume insisted that all public-private partnerships are presented and discussed in full council meetings. He said:

“Council is a public body, anybody is free to comment, take it to court or ask the minister, or to correct the issue if we have done it wrong.

“We enter into public-private partnerships with the relevant companies, which will be agreed to by the government. We account to the full council and we speak about these things publicly in full council meetings.”

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