By Bernard Bwoni
The dusty patches that have overwhelmed the many and once-green spaces around the Harare Central Business District all the way to Mupedzanhamo are an eyesore and very disappointing for a once cosmopolitan city as Harare. This is the Sunshine City, the city of business and the economic core of the country. This is where all the action is meant to happen, the centre where domestic and international business dawn. All the shine has been taken over by the dirt and dust whilst the City Fathers squabble and scramble for this and that position. These are the men and women entrusted with the smooth running of this great city and it is disheartening that they are oblivious to the dust bowls and erosion that have taken over the city walkways and sidewalks. The personal jostling for positions has overtaken the duty to deliver efficient services for the city. Saviour Kasukuwere is absolutely right in challenging this degenerate state that the city has been carelessly turned into and he should continue until this great city begins to shine again.
Harare is probably one of Africa's most beautiful cities and one of the continent's greatest. It is a city with presence and some parts picturesque. The jacaranda lined streets, a juxtaposition of modern and old colonial architecture gives Harare its distinctive character. This is a city filled with smiles and sounds. There are bands at roof-tops and at night the city emits enchanting sounds and scents. This is one of Africa's safest cities. There is an emerging Afro-Soul scene and the sounds are soul-soothing. Mookomba is an intriguing raw talent. Young Brian Kadengu is right there with the rest and best. This is Harare and unfortunately it is being run by inefficient self-seeking desert-makers who have no business being where they are. Kasukuwere should not be deterred by the voices of retrogression and self-preservation. The city councils must be rid of the chuff and debris period!
The daytime in Harare is a whole different story to the soulful nights. Harare becomes a busy and bustling concoction of business people and those engaging in their own private affairs. The streets, pavements and walkways are heaving with people. This is a city overloaded with people from all walks of life. This once clean and tidy city is clearly crumbling under pressure from this people excess. The roads in the city centre are fine. It is the once leafy and lush spaces that are now looking tired and brown in most cases thanks to a clueless city council. The pavements and walkways are coming apart or have already done so in most cases and in urgent need of repair and replacement. The city planning requires a rethink to cater for the unprecedented population advent into the city. There are just too many people in this city and it is not sustainable. There are limited road crossing facilities and hence the unrestrained jaywalking that is both dangerous and irritating even for the most patient of drivers. The walkways, the pavements and the once green spaces have turned into ugly mini desert patches. This is right in the centre of the country's economic hub. A walk through the Kopje area will leave your perfectly polished shoes worse than a gravedigger's boots. Now this is unacceptable in such a great city.
It is interesting to note that the Pavement in York City in England was the first walkway to be paved in 1378. Today the whole of York city is paved and cobbled beautifully. The Great Zimbabweans who constructed the monumental Great Zimbabwe had begun paving their walkways 200 years before many cities who today boast of some of the well-crafted pavements and walkways. The city of Dubrovnik has some fantastic cobbled walkways and Venice has some of the most enchanting alleyways all perfectly done. This makes one wonder what is the reason for the disconnect between the bold Great Zimbabwe engineers who built the solid Great Zimbabwe City all with cobbled walkways and the people of Zimbabwe today? Where is the passion, the power and pride exhibited by the Great Zimbabweans? The Great Zimbabweans were paving and cobbling walkways as far back as 1100BC and yet in 2016 their descendants are lazily striding and stomping in dust and dirt in the centre of their cities. Our heads should hang perennial shame for letting our forebears down.
Paving and stone cobbling are in the marrow of Zimbabweans. This is a Zimbabwean art form. It is not expensive, or I should say, it mustn't be expensive. It is appalling that the heirs of Great Zimbabweans should be walking in dust and dirt in such a great city as Harare and any other city for that matter. Instead of having sleepless nights thinking of ways to restore the city's dignity and getting such basic and simple tasks right, the city fathers are busy squabbling for positions. Now that is redundancy of reason and responsibility. These city fathers work in Harare, their feet tread on this dirt and dust without due care or attention on a daily basis and that does not nudge them into some form of remedial action. They way too preoccupied with the politics of positions than effective service delivery. There is no urgency and there is no shame. How can a whole Mayor or Town Clerk go to work in the morning from Monday to Friday and then go home in the evening without being aware of this in-your-face dirt and dust? Are they waiting for dust storms to start damaging buildings and endangering lives for them to notice?
The situation can easily be addressed and rectified if that City Council was manned by a dedicated and selfless team. A team that is solely preoccupied with service delivery instead of personal allowances and benefits. Zimbabwe is facing unemployment challenges and the city of Harare engaging young people in city paving and cobbling initiatives will create jobs for them. There are many young people busy harassing motorists in the city centre who can be engaged in city walkways cobbling and paving. Empowering the young to learn the art of paving creates work for them and in so doing they master a relevant skill. The city has to go on a walkway paving offensive and this needs to be same with other cities. When you travel to many great cities in the world, Americas, Europe, Asia and so on, the one thing they prioritise is paving and cobbling. There are pertinent reasons for that. It is not just for aesthetic reasons but national pride and to attract business.
The Great Zimbabweans showed great workmanship judging from the ruins they left behind, they paved their walkways and today great cities like Harare are being run by individuals more concerned about personal gain rather than sorting out the mess that the city has been turned into. They can come up with excuses forged in outer space, but this mess is inexcusable. This is the capital city for crying out loud!
The mess in Harare City is an accurate indication and reflection of the calibre of those running the city. In all fairness the cost of paving and cobbling all the bare, dirty and dusty patches in Harare city centre would probably be covered by the annual salary plus allowances of one of these overpaid and evidently inefficient people manning the city. This decrepit state of Harare is not a case of resources dearth but rather idleness and not-fit-for-purpose characteristics of those running the show. Some might argue that there are more pressing issues to worry about than dust and dirt. Well that is partly true but the dirt and dust issue is a real issue and unacceptable in a great city as Harare. With paved walkways and alley-ways it is easy to control and clean the dust and dirt. It is true that the dust and dirt invites more dirt. People are less likely to throw rubbish on clean surfaces than dirty ones.
Harare would look plush with perfectly paved walkways and sidewalks with sitting areas catered for. Compared to many other cities in the world, Harare remains generally safe. There is a need to increase street lighting, pavements, alleyway and walkway lighting to further enhance safety and aesthetics. These might seem frivolous additions but these are important details for investment, business, tourism and national pride. International business is heading towards Zimbabwe and serious business executives don't like turning up for meetings with dusty shoes. They don’t feel safe walking in pitch black alleyways and sidewalks. Walkways and alleyways are simple to construct. Tourism and lighting walk hand in hand. When people visit new places they like to feel safe. Zimbabwe is a safe destination generally and more lighting in walkways and alleyways will go a long way in enhancing safety. Clean, well paved and well-lit streets, walkways and alleyways are magnets for travellers and international business people. These are basics that those manning Harare City Council should get first time round.
Harare is the economic hub of the country and first impressions matter. The city's image has to create lasting impressions for the right reasons and not because of dust bowls and dusty storms. It is a pity that those entrusted with manning and running the city are clearly unaware of that as they continue the service delivery unrelated political scrummaging. The simple case of paving and patching dust patches will without a doubt enhance the city's image for both locals and visitors alike. The citizens should continue to put pressure on the city fathers into action.
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