Online Reporter
Herald Reporter
WARD 18 residents have called for infrastructure to keep pace with development, while welcoming a series of road, water, lighting and community projects undertaken in the constituency as they made submissions towards the City of Harare’s 2027 budget.
The submissions were made at a residents feedback and budget consultation meeting held at Greystone Park School on Saturday, with residents placing water supply, road rehabilitation, development control, waste management, revenue collection and accountability at the centre of the discussions.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for the council to outline work already undertaken in Ward 18, with figures presented showing progress in road maintenance, water infrastructure, traffic lights, public lighting and municipal buildings.
The work undertaken includes 4.5km of tar patching, 6.25km of gravel filling, 3.759km of drain clearance, 3.6km of shrub cutting, 0.2km of deblocking, cleaning of 11 catchpits and 2.46km of kerb cleaning.
A further 9.8km of road reconstruction has been undertaken, covering roads including Sal House Avenue, Douglas Clarke Road, Yarmouth Road, Kelly Road, Armthwaite Road, Windmill Road and Borrowdale Lane, among others.
The council also reported the construction of 12 speed humps, attendance to 161 sewer blockages, repairs to 419 water bursts and 6km of water-pipe replacement.
Major resuscitation of traffic lights was also reported at the Borrowdale-Witwell Road intersection, while street-light restoration has been undertaken along a number of roads in the ward.
Building maintenance was another area of progress, with the report indicating that 95 percent of roof repairs had been completed and ceiling works were 50 percent complete.
The infrastructure figures come as Ward 18 continues to push for improved service delivery, with the ward covering Borrowdale, Borrowdale Brooke, Helensvale, Greystone Park, Mandara, Gletwin, Glen Lorne, Philadelphia, Hogerty Hill and Umwinsdale.
However, residents made it clear that the improvements must be matched by stronger planning and investment in basic infrastructure, particularly water, as development pressures increase.
One of the strongest submissions concerned the rapid construction of cluster housing in established low-density areas.
Residents said there were about seven cluster developments within a one-kilometre radius in parts of Helensvale and questioned whether the cumulative impact on water, sewerage, roads, drainage and other services was being adequately assessed.
Another resident said an eight-unit double-storey cluster development had been opposed for about 18 months, with more than 15 submissions reportedly made to council.
Residents subsequently called for infrastructure assessments to precede further densification, transparent handling of objections and development applications, consistent enforcement of planning laws and a clear Ward 18 development and infrastructure plan.
Water remained a major concern, despite the reported 6km of pipe replacement and 419 water-burst repairs.
A City of Harare Water Department official told the meeting that pipe replacement and other interventions were under way, while efforts were also being made to improve water conservation and supply. The department acknowledged continuing challenges, with residents reporting uneven municipal supplies across the ward.
The council has previously said major pipe replacement works in Ward 18 were expected to improve supplies, while teams continued attending to bursts and blockages.
Residents also raised concerns about the accountability of rates and other payments, asking how the 2027 budget could be effectively formulated if the local authority could not clearly account for revenue collected.
Figures presented at the meeting put Ward 18’s collection efficiency at 53 percent, while Councillor Matsika said the city-wide collection efficiency was 59 percent and the city’s debtor position stood at about $11.2 billion.
The figures were presented as part of the budget discussion and should therefore be understood as meeting figures rather than independently audited figures.
Milestones build momentum
The consultation came against the backdrop of several positive developments in Ward 18 over the past year.
In March, ward 18 was among areas benefiting from a major road rehabilitation programme involving the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, the City of Harare and the Central Mechanical Equipment Department.
Yarmouth Road, Salhouse Road and Douglas Clarke Road were among the roads identified under the programme, with residents and the Borrowdale Residents and Ratepayers Association also participating in road patching and maintenance.
Community-led development has also produced tangible results. In September 2025, BRRA handed over a refurbished clinic, a new bus terminal and a recycling centre to the City of Harare and residents. The projects were presented as examples of collaboration between residents, council and private partners.
The Borrowdale District Office has also been undergoing major rehabilitation, with the project described as a significant milestone after years of deterioration.
At city level, Ward 18 has also been associated with efforts to strengthen public-private partnerships in waste management and water supply, including collaboration involving Geo Pomona Waste Management and Helcraw Water.
Councillor Rufaro Matsika also highlighted the rollout of smart prepaid water meters, digital billing and the planned rehabilitation of the Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant as part of wider efforts to improve Harare’s water system.
Matsika, who is Ward 18 Councillor and Chairperson of the City of Harare Business Committee, was re-elected to the chairpersonship for 2026.
Vending and development control
Informal trading was another major issue raised during the consultation.
Residents expressed concern over the growth of vending sites around Helensvale, Drew Road, Chisipiti and other parts of the ward, while acknowledging the need for livelihoods to be protected.
Matsika has previously said residents were not opposed to vending but wanted it properly regulated, with potential formal vending sites identified in the ward. She also said illegal vending and the sale of illicit goods required urgent attention.
The issue dovetails with council’s wider enforcement drive against illegal developments, unauthorised commercial activities, informal trading and other activities viewed as undermining order in Ward 18.
Budget priorities
The submissions made at the meeting therefore point to a clear set of priorities for the 2027 budget: sustained road rehabilitation, reliable water supplies and pipe replacement, sewer and drainage maintenance, restoration of street lighting and traffic signals, improved waste management, stronger town planning and development control, better revenue collection and greater accountability.
Residents also want council to ensure that new developments do not place additional pressure on already strained infrastructure.
For Ward 18, the message from Saturday’s consultation was therefore two-fold: recognition of work already undertaken, but a demand that the next phase of development be matched by adequate infrastructure, transparent planning and measurable service delivery.
