City resolves to tackle illegal activities

Diana Nherera Suburban Reporter

THE City of Harare has made a resolution to ensure that golf courses have properly constituted executives so that they are not ‘hijacked by individuals’ who end up conducting illegal activities at the facilities.

Ward 17 Councillor Happymore Gotora said this while responding to complaints of noise pollution concerns from Homeground Shopping Centere and Sherwood Golf Course from residents at a recent Zimbabwe Combined Residents and Ratepayers Association held at Hallingbury Primary School.

Cllr Gotora said he is aware of the issue of noise pollution from Homeground and Sherwood Golf Course.

“It’s an issue that is also a challenge that the residents are facing.

“As your councillor, I’m not just seated but I am dealing with those issues.

“It’s just that some of these issues are perennial problems and cannot be dealt with in a day.

“I had some engagement with some people. I had a meeting at Sherwood Golf Course last week so I made a proposal when we had a meeting on Monday.

“My committee that I chair, the committee of information and publicity, has the mandate to oversee all sporting activities in the city.

“So I took advantage of that to come up with a resolution.

“I asked about the status of our golf courses and we made a resolution that the town clerk should make sure that these golf courses start working again and have properly constituted executives,” he said.

Cllr Gotora said he has engaged business operators at Homeground Shopping Centre over the noise pollution complaints.

“And we are still engaging to come up with a lasting solution so that we deal with the issue of noise and many other issues,” he said.

Residents also complained about the state of their roads with some saying they are now resorting to raising their own money to repair the roads. Cllr Gotora said council cannot fold hands and watch the city collapse.

“Let’s come up with other measures so that we can be able to maintain these roads.

“That’s the reason, I’ve said very soon, you will be seeing here and there some of the roads; maybe two at a particular time being repaired because of those measures that we are now undertaking. We have seen that waiting for Zinara we won’t go anywhere,” he said.

Cllr Gotora claimed that the failure to maintain or repair roads started when Zinara was created.

“Long back you used to pay your vehicle licences to the local authorities and the roads were maintained.

“But when Zinara was formed, all vehicle licences are being channeled to Zinara and they disburse funds as and when they wish.

“So at law, you can’t take money for water to go and repair roads. There has to be a specific fund for that particular road, that’s the challenge,” he said.

Cllr Gotora said the city’s debtors keep increasing as revenue collection from rates is around 37 percent.

“The challenge is also being exacerbated by the fact of poor billing system that the council has at the moment as a result of an inefficient ERP,” he said.

Cllr Gotora said council is pushing to acquire an efficient ERP.

“And we expect that to be in place soon so that we can be able to deal with these issues of poor billing system,” he said.