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Mr Chedeme

Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
Harare residents are boycotting the city’s 2018 pre-budget consultation meetings, saying they are a mere window dressing since their input has never been reflected in council’s financial plans.

Low attendance marred most of the meetings, with some attracting as low as 20 residents, forcing the city to postpone them. The city has conducted meetings in Belvedere, Rugare, Warren Park, Mabvuku, Glen View and Kuwadzana, among other areas. The Combined Harare Residents Association (Chra) said low attendances have been recorded in most areas.

“In Ward 15, for example, the budget consultative meeting had to be postponed after Harare City Council officials and residents concurred that the meeting could not go ahead due to poor attendance,” said the residents association in a statement. “Some of the residents said they had not been notified of the meetings on time.

“The Harare City Council 2018 budget consultative meetings will not be able to adequately capture the contributions and concerns of Harare residents. As such, Chra would like to put it on record that with the exception of Ward 19 where about 300 residents were in attendance, the budget consultative meetings held in Wards 5, 13, 15, 31/32, 37 and 38 were seriously flawed.”

Chra said any outcome from “a flawed process” could not be taken to reflect the input of residents, saying residents and other relevant stakeholders were given short notice.

The residents association said it was worried that some of the meetings registered very low attendance, as had been the norm in previous years. Chra is concerned that submissions from a few attendees would be taken to reflect the concerns and contributions of the majority of Harare residents. Council corporate communication manager Mr Michael Chideme urged residents to take active participation in the budget formulation exercise.

“The output of the meetings has a bearing on service delivery and general outlook of Harare,” he said. “We want the budget to be owed communally by the residents and the council. Failure to attend or absenteeism does not engender civic participation.”

“It is thus necessary to endorse submissions based on a minimum number of attendees per each consultative meeting,” said Chra. “The report from the budget consultative meetings must be produced within a month of concluding the meetings and be made public.

“The council budget should reflect the reality on the ground, especially putting into account the economic situation in the country. Priority should be given to issues of service delivery and the health sector.” Council corporate communication manager Mr Michael Chideme urged residents to take active participation in the budget formulation exercise.

“The output of the meetings has a bearing on service delivery and general outlook of Harare,” he said. “We want the budget to be owed communally by the residents and the council. Failure to attend or absenteeism does not engender civic participation.”