Suburban
THE Greendale Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) has urged the City of Harare to address service delivery issues such as constant water supply, regular refuse collection, burst water and sewer pipes and street lighting affecting the suburb in Harare’s 2022 budget.
Diana Nherera Suburban Reporter
Speaking during a Ward 9 pre-budget consultative meeting held via WhatsApp on Monday, residents also urged council to ensure roads are repaired and traffic lights installed on dangerous and busy intersections.
“It would be helpful to know when to expect water when it comes.
“We recycle rinsing water and use it for gardening,” said a Greendale resident and GRRA member.
Another GRRA member asked if council could look into compensating residents who are not receiving water and ensuring all households get water in future.
Residents wondered why the municipality’s refuse truck is going around without a horn failing to alert people of the waste collectors presence in the suburb. “How much does it cost to fix the hooter for the garbage collection truck? I mean really?” said the Greendale resident.
The meeting also urged council to address the issue of illegal dumping being fuelled by non-collection of refuse by the municipality and prosecute offenders.
“Can we have a way to report dumping, get rubbish cleared and offenders prosecuted?
“There is a continuous problem on Cecil Road intersection with Chaplin. Nappies are dumped.
“The rubbish is set alight from time to time so we all get a good dose of burnt plastic smoke,” said a resident.
Residents suggested if council budgeted some money for a refuse truck to be allocated to Greendale, which they can help repair in the future.
“We need a dedicated refuse truck and other equipment allocated to the (Greendale) district (office). If council has a problem like a hooter, we could try and help if we know the truck belongs to us. If not dedicated, then maybe two wards can share a refuse truck,” suggested a resident.
Suggestions were also made for council to bill residents for the services they would have provided monthly instead of billing them when the municipality was not collecting rubbish.
Mrs Trish Mukudu from the waste management department said the city is collecting garbage after every two weeks due to its depleted garbage compactors fleet.
She added that council will repair the hooter of the truck in question on Sunday.
Residents also requested the city to give them 24 hours’ notice when the garbage truck will be in their area.
The meeting expressed concern over the piling rubbish at Kamfinsa shopping centre where residents are also dumping their garbage in addition to the rubbish from the businesses and vendors at the shopping centre.
Residents requested plastic bins to be made available at the Greendale district office as they have not been supplied with bins for some time now.
Responding to the request, Mr Benjamin Nhukarume from the City of Harare’s finance department said the bins are bought through a tender process.
“We apologize that the process has taken long to conclude,” he said.
Residents suggested the city should create a WhatsApp platform to report issues pertaining to burst pipes and other service delivery issues.
Mr Nhukarume said going green would be the way to go with regards to street lights while responding to residents who thanked the city for ensuring that some roads were now well lit.
However, some residents pointed out that several roads in the suburb including Rhodesville Avenue needed street lights.
A resident of Harare Drive and Mutare Road said they have not had street lights since 1940.
“Given the high bill, there is need to curtail such expenditure and solar lights would be the way to go.
“We will ask the department concerned to look at the issue and give you feedback,” said Mr Nhukarume.
Residents emphasized the need to prioritise street lights to prevent muggings.
“Is City of Harare aware of the predicament residents are suffering with robberies, some armed and thuggery on dark streets?” asked the resident.
Participants in the meeting felt solar lights were a problem because they were targets for vandalism and cited those installed along Airport Road, which have since been stolen.
“Solar may be the way to go but we have a big challenge.
“The solar panels on some of the pole adverts on Airport Road have all been stolen.
“Anything that can be stolen disappears quickly,” said the resident.
The meeting requested that money be budgeted to repair the Court and Arcturus Roads traffic light that has not been working for two years.
Some residents said they were willing to contribute towards road repairs.
Mr Nhukarume said council would be grateful if residents could assist in any way possible.
Mr Nelson Sahondo from the city’s roads section said roads that will be repaired under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) are Court Road, Coronation Avenue, Wilson Road, Greengrove Drive and Rhodesville Avenue.
“The works involve crack sealing, pothole patching, shoulder rehabilitation, storm water drain cleaning and kerb cleaning.
“On ERRP projects, at the end some of the roads will be resealed and reconstructed.
“However, our routine maintenance is still in place and I would like to thank residents for assisting the city on premix, transport etc.
“We still have challenges on materials and the situation has been worsened by Covid-19 lockdown where staff has been reduced.
“Our aim is to have local maintenance vehicles plant and equipment,” said Mr Sahondo.
Residents from Shaneragh Road in Mandara and other roads in that suburb said the roads were in need of urgent attention as they have been neglected for years.
“In Mandara there are some roads which do not deserve to be called urban roads.
“When are repairs for such roads going to be budgeted for?” he said.
The meeting also heard about the need for traffic signs as lives are being lost in accidents due to lack of signs to help control traffic.
“Some very dangerous intersections have not had traffic control signs for decades despite promises to get them attended to.
“For example, Greengrove Drive and Fallon Road, Hampshire Roads at Athlone shops.
“A few lives have been lost there,” said a resident of Athlone.
