Let us sort out Harare Zimbabwe is known as a peaceful country, and efforts to by opposition forces to bring anarchy have largely been ignored by the majority of peace-loving Zimbabweans.

Victoria Ruzvidzo : Business Focus

A capital city usually reflects the general state of a country. It is a microcosm of the whole nation and perceptions of the whole area largely based on this one part. Harare exudes potential and pride of place. Or does it anymore? If the truth be told, Harare has become a pale shadowy of its former self. The infrastructure is dilapidated, there is chaos in the city centre with vendors, commuter omnibuses and mushika-shika outdoing each other to break city by-laws and regulations. They have the nerve to do so even a stone’s throw away from the city’s headquarters-Town House.

Not long ago we used to brag that unlike some African cities where meat is sold on the street and where they have traffic congestion all day long Harare was actually one of the most cleanest.

In fact the sunshine city status has been dimmed by the dilapidation that has now become even more rapid. If a few years ago anyone would have said Harare would be in the state it is today, we would have all laughed at that person or considered them a good candidate for a psychiatric ward. But as if in a dream or nightmare even, Harare is now a city gone bad for real.

Granted, the economy is not performing well hence funds to maintain infrastructure are hard to come by but I think some of the challenges in the city are to do with dereliction of duty than the shortage or absence of funds.

Potential investors have obviously been expressing interest to do business in Zimbabwe’s capital but the situation on the ground either retards progress or discourages investors completely. The state of the roads and other infrastructure and the general chaos that characterise it with vendors now found everywhere and mushika-sika and other commuter omnibuses ranking everywhere and anywhere they dim fit, all in the name of getting every 50 cents they can and yet in the process they are denying the city, the country and themselves the millions of dollars in potential investment that the country need so much.

A city’s road, rail, water and electricity are indisputably central for business because infrastructure makes business possible. But for Harare, the water quality and its availability is compromised, refuse collection is a Christmas gift, traffic congestion is worsening while malfunctioning traffic lights are a daily experience.

Can much be derived from such a state of affairs? Periodically cases of deaths as a result of one or more of the problems above are reported but the responsible authorities remain unperturbed.

We have bemoaned this state of affairs for a long time and we have seen once in a while municipal seen municipal police running battles with vendors and the muchika-shikas but such a campaign is not sustained hence after a day or to its back to business and life goes on as before.

Only last week the city authorities sent a warning that they would descend hard on those breaking the by-laws but I almost laughed, just that its a sad story at which we cannot afford to laugh. They have issued such statements and indeed they have admonished the law breakers once in a while but they have not enforced the by-laws sustainably hence they are generally not taken seriously by the vendors in the central business district or the commuter omnibus that block roads and cause serious congestion, particularly in the evenings when the vehicular and human traffic is high as people go home from work or those into night life make their way into town.

I write as a disgruntled citizen and a columnists motivated to see this city and this economy growing and developing so that it can satisfy the needs of its populace.

Harare has obviously been grappling with the rising rural to urban migration and its attendant problems, and the effects of being a part of the global village where competition for existence, let alone attraction of foreign investors and tourists becomes a dog-eat-dog affair.

But we insist that despite these challenges, Harare has the wherewithal to rise again and compete effectively with other large cities of this world in attracting the kind of interest that brings along millions, if not billions of dollars to develop the economy.

Big companies and big firms still operate in Harare, although a number have either closed shop or have downsized. But there is more to gain by putting Harare’s house in order so we can attract more developers, including local investors who may have access to resources but could be looking elsewhere because Harare offers a hard deal.

Harare has a legal right to get a significant portion of the trillions of dollars that multinational and transnational corporations invest every year. Harare has the ability to claim a bite from the investment funds directed to this continent and this region. But it needs a lot of hard work and determination and yes! Even in these challenging times the city can be spruced up and achieve that which we must,

In God I Trust

 

My email:[email protected]

Whatsapp: +263 772129972

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