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Blessings Chidakwa-Municipal Reporter
The opposition-led Harare City Council has come under serious scrutiny over its proposed plan to lease its ablution facilities to private entities.
This has been perceived as a sign of accepting failure to offer the least basic services.
If the plan sails through, it means city residents and visitors will now have to fork out cash for the once free facilities that will be leased.
With the growing human population in Harare there seem to be an overwhelming demand for ablution facilities raising fears that those without money will resort to relieving themselves on alleyways, dark corners or even urinating on empty bottles.
Posting on its Twitter handle @cohsunshinecity the council said it would soon tender for the lease of some of its ablution facilities to individuals, companies or consortia.
“The state of the facilities requires capital injection for them to be usable. There is virgin land as well for the development of new facilities,” reads the post received with a backlash.
One Wonder Bhaku @wbhaku replied saying: “So the City of Harare can’t even build or maintain a mere toilet? Really?”
@tmuchemwa said: “You guys are weird, you want to turn a public good into a revenue stream. Are you not just incentivising public indecency?”
@MaideiMutonhodz said: “Honestly, what are you capable of doing? You can’t even run a toilet, what more of a city? Wait a minute, I think Somebody is stealing from the masses.”
@rudairos said: “So u have failed to run toilets, zvimbuzi chaizvo? Ayas.”
Harare City Council spokesperson Mr Michael Chideme yesterday it was not a sign of failure but rather, integrity.
“Council is saying this area we need to have people with the requisite capacities to run it so that the residents of Harare and visitors to the city can use proper ablution facilities and then people can pay.
“Those facilities are a business and should generate revenue. The council will be getting revenue from those ablution facilities.
“Residents have always said council should look for alternative revenue sources so this is a revenue stream that we are also bringing on board,” he said.
Mr Chideme said the idea was being mulled for council to make the necessary cash residents had always wanted them to collect.
“That money can then be ploughed back into service delivery. Council is not going to lease out all the ablution facilities there are some that will remain for free use but there are some that will have to be paid for their use.
“Ablution facilities require detergents and cleaning almost after every use. Those considerations have made it necessary for us to say we want to lease out these facilities so that they can generate money that helps in their upkeep,” he said.
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