City of Harare launches 2026 pre-Budget consultations

Peter Tanyanyiwa

Herald Correspondent

THE City of Harare has started 2026 pre-budget consultative meetings, with residents in Dzivaresekwa’s Wards 39 and 40 voicing urgent demands for improved service delivery, infrastructure rehabilitation, and youth empowerment.

The meetings, held over the weekend at Glaudina Primary School (Ward 40) on Saturday and Dzivaresekwa 2 Community Hall (Ward 39) on Sunday, mark the start of a citywide process aimed at shaping next year’s municipal budget through direct community input.

At the Glaudina Primary School meeting, Ward 40 residents — encompassing Dzivaresekwa 3, Dzivaresekwa Extension, Nehanda, Glaudina, and surrounding areas— took a bold stance by submitting only two capital project requests for the 2026 budget: a primary school and a clinic.

This deliberate narrowing of demands, residents said, wasa test of the city’s ability to deliver on basic service promises after years of chronic underperformance.

“We have participated in these meetings year after year, but our roads remain in disrepair, and our children still walk long distances to access education and healthcare,” said one resident during the meeting.

“This time, we are listing only two things—a primary school and a clinic. We want to see if the City of Harare can deliver even on these basics.”

Ward 40 Councillor Knowledge Bote acknowledged the community’s frustration.

“The residents have made it clear: they are tired of empty promises. By focusing on just a primary school and a clinic for the 2026 capital projects, they are sending a strong message to the city—deliver on these essentials, or risk losing the community’s trust.”

A major point of contention is the fate of land originally earmarked for the school and clinic in Glaudina, which residents allege has been taken over by a private developer. “We are deeply concerned that land meant for public good has been diverted for private gain,” said Cllr Bote. “Residents have tasked the City of Harare to urgently engage with the developer and reclaim the land so that these critical projects can proceed. The city must act decisively to protect community interests.”

Beyond the school and clinic, residents voiced anger over the state of Ward 40’s roads, which suffer from years of neglect. The lack of a designated commuter omnibus rank further compounds daily hardships, forcing residents to rely on informal and often unsafe transport arrangements.

“Every rainy season, the roads become almost impassable. We have pleaded for repairs, but nothing changes,” said a Glaudina resident.

“And without a proper rank for kombis, commuters are left to fend for themselves, often at great risk.”

The 2024-2025 Harare city budget, pegged at US$548.2 million, was billed as a resident-oriented plan prioritising service delivery and infrastructure. However, implementation has lagged, particularly in outlying wards like Ward 40, due to funding gaps, slow project rollouts, and unresolved land disputes.

“People are not seeing the results they were promised. That’s why, for 2026, they are keeping their demands simple and focused,” said Cllr Bote.

“It’s a test of the city’s sincerity and capacity to deliver.”

In Ward 39, residents pressed city officials for urgent improvements to roads, recreational facilities, and youth empowerment initiatives. The meeting, though modestly attended, was marked by passionate calls for the city to prioritise the needs of Dzivarssekwa’s growing population.

“We must listen and act. Road rehabilitation, youth projects, and recreational facilities are not luxuries—they are necessities for a healthy, thriving community,” said Ward 39 Councillor Stephen Dhliwayo, who facilitated the meeting.