Continue lodging submissions on master plan, residents told

THE City of Harare submitted its draft master plan to the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works last Friday and urged residents to keep lodging submissions for incorporation into the final plan.

Peter Tanyanyiwa Suburban Reporter

After submitting the draft master plan, residents will be afforded an opportunity to view the draft and make submissions which might be incorporated into the final master plan.

Harare had sought to have the June 30 deadline extended by one month but Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe maintained that the deadline remained unchanged because President Mnangagwa had not indicated any departure from the June 30 target date.

Urban and rural district councils have been asked to draft master plans as directed by President Mnangagwa in the local authorities blueprint he launched last year. The blueprint dubbed “Call to Action” seeks to improve service delivery and poor planning in local authorities was cited as one of the stumbling blocks to efficient service delivery.

Speaking at a special council meeting at Town House on Tuesday, Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume assured residents that they still have the opportunity to contribute to the master plan.

“We submitted the draft master plan, and the master plan will still need to be deposited and presented to residents. For now, all is not lost for residents who did not have a chance to submit their input. There is still room for them to give the planners their input, and it will be considered for the master plan,” said Mayor Mafume.

Acting director of planning Mr Samuel Nyabeza displayed a copy of the master plan after handing it over to Councillor Mafume at the special council meeting.

The City of Harare said it met the deadline by implementing a resource enterprise system, conducting a valuation roll of properties in the city and drafting the master plan.

The President’s “Call to action: no compromise to service delivery” blueprint provides guidelines that local authorities must follow to ensure efficient services in line with the country’s quest to achieve a middle-income economy by 2030.

Minister Garwe emphasised the importance of meeting the indicated milestones.

“All local authorities should strive to achieve the indicated milestones,” said Minister Garwe.

Cllr Mafume reiterated the council’s commitment to engaging with the residents in the planning process. A master plan serves as a city’s main land use and development planning policy guide with a typical planning horizon period of at least 10 years.

Harare’s current master plan, prepared in the late 1980s and approved to become operative 13 years later in 1993, is now 30 years old, necessitating an update to reflect the current realities of the city.