Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume has criticised President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s recent declaration of Harare’s waste management as a state of disaster, calling it a “grand looting scheme” that would hinder council operations.
Mnangagwa’s Statutory Instrument (SI) 140 of 2023 gives the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) authority to manage waste collection and disposal in the Harare Metropolitan province. Harare Metropolitan province comprises three local authorities — Harare City Council, Chitungwiza and Ruwa town councils.
Mafume, however, believes that the move is ill-informed and that the real issue is lack of funding. The mayor has called for the devolution funds to be disbursed and utilised for their intended purpose. He also argued that the SI was unclear, as EMA is already a regulatory authority. Mafume suggested that the move was an attempt to steal from the councils and that the President was ill-advised. He said:
We have been down this road before.
Government gazetted the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) to take over roads and we have potholes in towns.
It also gazetted Zesa and we have dark cities.
We know it will end in tears.
Government has a tendency of taking over operations in the local authorities, but without the knowledge and expertise to manage.
What is required to resolve the waste management issues is funding.
We want the devolution funds to be disbursed and utilised for their intended purpose.
We have 15 compactor trucks that are stuck in South Africa because of financial issues.
We now have the Pomoma project, where residents have to fork out US$1,4 million.
How can one declare a state of disaster and demand money from the same local authority that is a disaster?
This is just a money-making scheme.
The President was ill-advised. We do not understand what the SI says. Ema is a regulatory authority already, but then the SI says it is going to supervise us.
Governance is not an essay-writing competition. We are going to continue working as we were doing.
The SI directs local authorities to reimburse EMA for its activities towards refuse collection and waste management. The declaration was published under the Civil Protection Act as SI 140 of 2023.
The chairperson of the Ruwa Local Board, Kizito Chivafa, described the SI as “weird”. He further stated that the board is still adhering to its weekly schedule of refuse collection, which is once per week. Chivafa expressed confidence in the board’s ability and referred to it as one of the smartest local authorities. He believed that the SI is just another statement and the residents could attest to the board’s efficient waste management.
Source Pindula
