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Yeukai Karengezeka Herald Correspondent
Harare City Council has deployed technical teams in Harare South to explore ways of regularising the area before mobilising resources, as it moves to comply with a directive by President Mnangagwa to improve infrastructure in the area.

President Mnangagwa issued the directive during a national monthly clean-up exercise in Southlea Park last month, where he said responsible authorities should provide infrastructure and services such as potable water, sewage reticulation and tarred roads, among other amenities, that were yawning for attendance.

In an interview, city corporate communications manager Mr Michael Chideme confirmed the new developments. “Following the President’s directive, so far we have managed to send teams on the ground to collect information that will help us in the planning processes,” he said.

The teams consists of planners, engineers and surveyors. Among things that will be put into consideration is to see whether properties built on wetlands can be regularised or not and if the stands were properly pegged. Recently, Harare mayor Herbert Gomba said council was going to explore all policy measures that ought to be applied to improve the area. He said infrastructural development was expected to start before the end of the year.

“After that we are going to the ministry with all the layout plans that have been done by our planners and make sure the ministry approves all of them,” he said.

“Beyond that, we also intend to raise resources from council and Government side. These resources will enable us to go out there and have infrastructure development expected in Harare South.”

Clr Gomba said they intended to do that as expeditious as possible. “We want to do it in a manner that is quick and in conformity with the law,” he said. “Understanding the call made by the President, we must be able to do it this year.”

Clr Gomba said council would work together with the Urban Development Corporation, a Government arm that was appointed to administer several settlements across the country, including Harare South.