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Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter

Harare City Council has been struggling to raise 68 000 pounds for shipment of donated fire engines from a United Kingdom-based capacity building firm.

The city has been under fire for being unable to respond to emergencies due to its depleted fleet of fire tenders and ambulances.

A UK-based fire services firm, Operation Florian that specialises in capacitating developing countries emergency services donated four engines and related accessories early last year, but the consignment remains uncollected.

Harare Metropolitan’s Provincial Development Coordinator, Mr Tafadzwa Muguti said there was need for the city to pull up its socks.

Mr Mugutu said this in his half year report for the Metropolitan city covering Harare City Council, Chitungwiza Municipality, Ruwa and Epworth Local board that was made available recently.

“On emergency services, the city is currently operating with six fire engines against a requirement of 25 to cover greater Harare. With regard to ambulance services, the city is operating with only two ambulances out of the desired 32 to service the greater Harare. The city is failing to raise 68 000 pounds for the shipment of four donated fire engines, and emergency services equipment,” said Mr Muguti.

The city’s acting corporate communications manager, Mr Innocent Ruwende said they paid the shipment costs, but they were yet to take delivery.

“We paid the money last year some of the associated materials are arriving this week while we are expecting four fire tenders to arrive at Walvis Bay in the next two weeks,” he said.

The city has only four fire stations against a requirement of 10 sites. Mr Muguti said Government was equally concerned by lack of substantive persons on many senior positions within the city. He said that was despite the fact that the city was overstaffed compared to the deliverables anticipated in the short to medium term.

“The entire directorate and senior management of the Harare City Council is in acting positions. This is due to the suspension, arrest and remand of directors and senior management officials.

“This has created a vacuum within the organisational structure and other related incompetency. There is need for all the outstanding legal, criminal and labour related matters to be resolved in order to regain normalcy at the local authority,” he said.

“The council has been heavily affected by arrests and recalls. The current council has 19 remaining councillors out of 46 initially voted into office. A total of 22 councillors were recalled by their political party Movement for Democratic Change.”

Turning to Chitungwiza, Mr Muguti said the dormitory town was facing serious challenges in the provision of goods and services.

“Chitungwiza Municipality is facing serious challenges in offering efficient service delivery to its residents. Chief among them is poor budget performance, water shortages or erratic supplies, perennial sewerage problems as a result of old-aged infrastructure,” he said.

He said Chitungwiza Municipality boasts a lucrative property portfolio which had been neglected, mismanaged and in most cases abused.

Mr Muguti said a joint management committee for Nyatsime housing scheme had already started work.