The report begins:

The later part of the year 2013 saw the government of Zimbabwe making lukewarm efforts to address challenges bedeviling the mining sector that civil society groups working in this sector have been highlighting relentlessly for years with very limited response from government. Despite the mining sector failing to achieve the projected growth of 17% in 2013 statistics from the ministry of mines indicate that mining has significantly contributed to Zimbabwe’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from an average of 10.2 percent in the 1990s to 19.9 percent in 2009 and 2013 surpassing agriculture. Similarly, figures from the Zimbabwe Investment Authority for 2013 also reveal an upward trend of the mining sector attracting 207 million out of the 660 million worth of investment with the remainder 460.30 million falling into other 5 sectors of the economy. Between 2009 and 2013 the mining industry became the leading export sector accounting for over 60% of Zimbabwe’s total export earnings. In spite of this growth, the mining sector’s contribution to fiscus has largely remained insignificant due to lack of transparency and accountability prevalent in the governance of the sector.

Download the full report here

This statement in itself is refreshing, given Zimbabwe’s tendency to make even public information inaccessible to people (take the recent examples of polling stations and local government election results). And his comments came at a discussion on ZimAsset, which explicitly lists ICT and e-Governance (including getting the Registrar General’s office online by this month!) as one of its goals.

This afternoon, my experience showed just how far Zimbabwe has to go to honour this pledge, if indeed government is sincere in offering it.

The City of Harare 2014 Budget is currently under review, and the proposed tariffs for 2014 are available for public inspection. The idea is that, since it’s residents who will have to pay the fees, residents should be able to inspect the fees before they are finalized, and also should be able to register any complaints about them. Residents have one month to do this, and this year the complaints submission phase ends at close of business on 11 December 2013. (If you’re a super keen outraged resident type, find more details about how to do this on the tariff document.)

So this afternoon, I went to my district office and asked to see the income and expenditure budget. “You want to see it here?” The receptionist asked me. Yes, I told her, and she handed me a 37 page document. She could not photocopy it for me, and I was not allowed to take it away to make a copy of it and return it. So instead, I took a picture of each page, and pasted these into a PDF document.

This is a ridiculously inefficient way to do things. The City of Harare 2014 Budget is available on their website. Why not make the tariff schedule available there too? And, what about a completely radical suggestion – Make the documents spreadsheet friendly and easily computer readable, so that people can actually analyse the data more easily, not just consume it. The way it stands, you can’t even readily tell if the tariffs they are referring to are monthly, quarterly, annual, or what.

Even more worryingly, the tariff schedule is a tiny fraction of what someone would need to know to assess concerns with the city budget. It lists what will be charged for city services – but not how many people might consume them, or how often. And it tells you nothing about expenditure. Even the budget speech, which is publicly available, is vague on detail particularly when it comes to expenditure.

When I phoned the city council to try and get more information, it was not readily available. I was referred to the health department, if I wanted more detail on the health licensing fees, and I was told to go to Cleveland House in person to ask any questions about advertising charges (the woman at Town House told me their phones don’t work). If I wanted more detail on the actual budget estimates for income and expenditure, I could come to the Chamber Secretary’s office, again in person, in the hopes that maybe they could help me.

In Section 288, the Urban Councils Act requires a city’s Finance Committee to “draw up and present for the approval of the council estimates in such detail as the council may require of the income and expenditure on revenue and capital accounts of the council for the next succeeding financial year.”

The same section also states that “Copies of the estimates approved in terms of subsection (1) shall be available for purchase by any person at such charge as may be fixed by the council: Provided that the charge fixed by the council shall not exceed such amount, if any, as may be prescribed.”

I find it hard to believe that the 2014 Budget Speech, which is available on the City of Harare website, represents the “council estimates in such detail as the council may require.” The document is readable, but it’s not detailed. Someone applying for a bank loan or developing a business plan would provide more detail on where their income would be coming from and how it would be spent.

So why does the City of Harare not treat its residents (read its revenue base) with the same respect?

Topic: 2013: The Defining Year for Zimbabwe Going Forward
Venue: New Ambassador Hotel, Harare
Date: Thursday, 28 November 2013
Time: 1730 to 2000 hours

Speakers:

1.    Mr Psychology Maziwisa: ZANU-PF Deputy Director for Information and Publicity
2.    Mr Douglas Mwonzora: MDC-T Spokesperson
3.    Mr Takura Zhangazha: Social Analyst

Chairperson:    Mr. Herbert Ndoma

Admission:    FREE. ALL ARE WELCOME!

For further enquiries please contact: Mass Public Opinion Institute: 771358/758700/ Cell: 0772 100 409

Police clearance has been granted

‘Could it be that public opinion is “the missing link” in the democracy debate in Zimbabwe, and indeed, in Africa today?’

Topic: The IMF and Zimbabwe
Date: Thursday 28 November
Time: 5pm – 7pm
Venue:  SAPES Seminar Room 4 Deary Avenue, Belgravia, Harare

Speakers: Dan Ndlela, Senior Economist

Discussants: Nadia Piffaretti, World Bank Senior Economist
Gibson Chigumira, Executive Director, Zimbabwe Economic Policy And Research Unit (ZEPARU)

Chair: Ibbo Mandaza, Sapes Trust

ALL WELCOME

SAPES Seminar Club Membership Forms available at entrance

Feel free to visit our website at www.sapes.org.zw

Greetings. I’m am a very bitter resident of Hatfield and I stay in Harare Drive. From the onset of farm invasions there was a group of people that came and began to settle in a bush that existed surrounding Dunstan transport company. This bush is right next to the international airport. Don’t get me wrong I do think every citizen deserves a piece of land to build a house and live but it’s the location and state of these houses and how it has affected the proper houses along Harare Drive.

In 2005 if I’m not mistaken during the Operation Murambatsvina phase the houses that were destroyed then were far better than the ones they have now. I don’t know when these settlements became legal because during election campaign phase, makeshift roads were opened up and by end of polls there was no sign of even a grading machine. The roads were left unfinished till today I will send pictures later.

These are the bad effects of these settlements: property along Harare Drive has devalued. Our roads are even neglected by council, even service delivery like refuse collection and water have ceased to exist from the onset of these events. Their settlement meant cutting down of trees and because of this our area now receives little or no rain at all. Be that as it may, it just brings out a really bad picture of what Zimbabwe is really on arrival of all visitors.

I have failed to really understand the whole situation. My suggestion is if parties want their supporters to have such benefits they must also assist them in building descent houses and at least service the stands in advance because they have no power, no sanitation and no water and it’s been a decade since they settled there. Before we also heard rumors of that land being developed with a shopping mall and new runways and a new airport hotel and a school also I guess that will never happen. Someone must do something.

- Disgruntled Youth

Meanwhile, last weekend students at Eveline Girls High School in Bulawayo held a peaceful demonstration to protest the lack of electricity at their boarding hostels.  Eight students were taken to Bulawayo Central Police Station and detained for around four hours.

Moral of the story? Demonstrate against non-existent sanctions and you won’t get arrested. But demonstrate against all-too-real failures at the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) and you will.

With good reason – This ironic “Letter to Gogo” from a Kubatana subscriber puts the issue very well:

Nhamo Primary School
Box 100% Poverty
Uzumba

Dear Grandmother

I am happy to tell you that bhora mugedhi has started its operations in Harare.

The little I was sending you from my tuck shop is no more. If all goes well, I will lose my job through the employment creation and empowerment scheme on the table.

I will let you know the progress in due course.

Yours in poverty,
Tichafa

• Destruction of homes is inhuman with the crisis faced by people now, and in the rainy season. Some people are ruthless. I am not affected yet.
• Yes, I am affected by the destruction of homes. It is not good, we are left homeless.
• Here in Norton nothing much.
• They must first provide shelter then destroy. If they destroy now, where are they going to stay? Too bad.
• Nothing has happened yet in Chitungwiza butpeople have been warned. But this time we are going to fight back because this is politics. We have been allocated these stands by council and some buying from registered cooperatives. Chitown council approved these stands but today Zanu PF wants to destroy them.
• Tsunami again
• Ndiyo inonzi bhora mugedhi akomona. Let us not be more worried about these people whose houses and tuck shops are being destroyed by Murambatsvina. They are the same people who voted Zanu PF, it is again an eye opener. They forgot Murambatsvina yekuma2005. Hazvititadzise kudya sadza.
• This destruction is killing people. If for the bet they have to build houses for people and market places or give people stands.
• Murambatsvina 2 ma 1. But here in rural Chipinge hatisati taiona. Keep on updating us.
• It is so touching that the authorities let people build and then at last they say it is illegal so togarepi nhayi Havana tsitsi nesu shuwa.
• I have not yet seen this, I’m in Mutare. As soon as zvangosvika we will let you know.
• This move is wrongly timed and what is the solution since our economy is down, those tuck shops are sustaining lives for many Zimbabweans.
• This is nuisance and those affected should retaliate
• Buhera RDC abolished illegal vendors within the growth point, a public notice of one month. The vendors were a menace polluting and evading tax shrinking council revenue.
• These are the same people who gave us these so called illegal stands before the elections and now they want to divide the population again and drive people back to their strong holds namely rural areas. It’s wrong.
• I think all Zimbabweans must unite and demonstrate against Zanu PF plan because if we cannot show them true colour they think that is in good direction.
• Shanties bad but planning important.
• I am not affected by this but this is not fair. Where are those people going to stay. Zvavarikushandisa pakuputsa zvadii zvashandiswa pakukudevelopa. Marod akafa, magetsi arikunetsa. Hurumende ngaisada kutambudza vanhu ichidaro.
• Hey, I wonder what was that same minister doing when he allowed erection of illegal structures for the past years. Wasn’t he looting people’s money from such illegal land allocation? The so-called Mr Weapon is so wrong cause I don’t see any reason why he take such a stance as if when such activities were happening. I feel pity for those who will be affected.
• I am not affected but I foresee some disaster. A real crisis. Rise in rentals. Invasion of some neighbouring farms or forests just like the Hopley case. Ma1.And this will be disorder by trying to put order. I believe remedies should be done at appropriate times. My bigger question is why did they allow this to take place for the past years if they knew it was not apt?
• Report frm the ground; vagari vemaseke vanogara munharaunda dzinoti Murisa,kuora,chitsvatsva and kaseke varikuchema chaizvo mushure mekunge pabhuda nyaya yekuputsirwa dzimba varikuti ivo havasi kuzorega kusungisa avo vakavatengesera.apo vakapihwa piriod ye7days kuti vapaze dzimba idzi nekumira kuvaka bt as for nw hapana ati apaza.vamwe vevatengesi veland iyi varikutiza munyika nekuti havasisina mari yekudzosera varidzi they were nt investing they just buy car’s 2 cover there povart.
•  Hie i’m from ruwa.the destruction of tuckshops happened and it was bad, but now people still sell here tuckshops were destroyed, but now in open space
• Yes the destruction of homes & tuckshops has begun. Yes i’m really affected though not direct bcoz my relatives and friends ar suffering as a result of this  second phase of murambatsvina/vanhu. It is very painful and a great lose to all investments done by the pple only to be destroyed within some seconds by the notorious zanu pf. Im experiencing the ongoing suffering of the zimbabweans & th highest level criminal activities being enforced by this government. We ar now experiencing a bad system of governance.   I think pple should unite and stand up.

If you are in doubt about your structure, make sure it is registered with your municipal authority, e.g. Ruwa Local Board. If your address is registered with the board and you are receiving bills from your local authority at that address, he says, your home should be safe. However, if your property is not registered or you have concerns about whether your home will be destroyed, contact The Ministry of Local Government on: +263 712 804 880 or +263 4 791287.

Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo said last week that a national programme to demolish these structures would take place.

According to one of our subscribers:

The demolition of structures went into the second day today in Ruwa. An operation which some critics like me have dubbed Operation Murambavanhu. Councillors have refused to come out in the open to discourage this Operation, fearing victimization from Chombo. Their answer to disgruntled victims is that “there is little we can do. It is a national program championed by the central government.”

News sources confirm that demolitions have begun in Ruwa, with houses and tuck shops being torn down.

If demolitions begin in your area, or you have eye-witness reports or photographs please share them with us via WhatsApp on +263 772 452201 or via email to info [at] kubatana [dot] net.

Also, VOA Zimbabwe says “The public is advised to approach the Ministry of Local Government for more details on mobile number +263 712 804 880 or +263 4 791287.” If the Councillors won’t speak up for us, we need to speak up for ourselves. Get in touch with the Ministry of Local Government and tell them what you think.