Harare committed to working with churches, says Mayor

Ellen Chasokela Herald Reporter
Harare City Council is committed to working with churches as it strives to achieve world class city status by 2025, Harare Mayor Councillor Herbert Gomba has said.

He was speaking at the Council-Churches Interface in Harare yesterday.

“Let’s continue working together,” he said. “We want to work with them and they should work with us. We will not tolerate churches that violate the capital city’s by-laws, especially noise pollution, assembling illegally, parking of vehicles in front of neighbours’ gates, on roads distracting other vehicles and failing to pay fees.

“Churches owe the council $10 million in rentals and lease fees and we will soon name and shame them.”

Harare Town Planner Mrs Priscilla Charumbira said the relationship between the council and churches was like that of an egg and chicken.

“Churches are saying we will not pay rent because we are failing to deliver proper services, while our argument is that we are failing to deliver because we do not have resources because people are not paying rentals,” she said.

“We have over 2 000 churches and the land cannot accommodate all of them, hence there is need to revise the standards and try to accommodate them.”

Mrs Charumbira urged churches to sound-proof their churches and reduce the volume of their PA systems. She warned churches against pitching tents at any open spaces.

“We have received several complaints from residents about noise coming from churches,” she said. “Religious gatherings that use electronic sound systems should sound-proof their buildings. Those that hold church services at homes should make sure that their service is four hours and should finish before 7:30pm.”

Zimbabwe Christian Ministers Association president Bishop Christopher Choto said churches should be seen as a vehicles for improving service delivery.

“Eighty percent of the population are Christians, hence churches and the council should support each other,” he said.

“We have churches drilling boreholes inside their premises and putting taps outside for the community to use.

“Churches should pay rentals and acquire certificates of assembly to avoid problems with council.”