Harare City Council finally availed its masterplan yesterday after initially missing the June 30 Presidential deadline.
Most urban and rural district councils failed to meet Sunday's deadline for submission of their masterplans, or at least draft ones, although some have reported progress and have applied for extensions, showing that they are aware of the need to produce something concrete and useful.
Apart from the masterplans, the local authorities were also supposed submit functional Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) strategies and valuation rolls.
President Mnangagwa last November issued a directive for all local authorities to submit the masterplans when he launched the local authorities blueprint dubbed, "The call to Action -- No Compromise to Service Delivery".
Addressing guests during the presentation of the city's masterplan, the acting director of urban planning, Mr Samuel Nyabezi, admitted that they had failed to provide adequate services to residents, hence the poor state of sanitation facilities, road networks, emergency response and traffic enforcement among problems facing Harare residents.
Mr Nyabezi said the masterplan will also focus on the health sector.
"The health sector is facing funding challenges, there is not enough coming from the parent ministry, and neither can the city fully fund its own envisaged activities, this budgetary tightness has a trickle-down effect when it comes to sourcing medical supplies and equipment."
Mr Nyabezi said layout plans being created are not sticking to the basics of ensuring that certain social services, including health, are incorporated at plan formulation stage.
"The brain drain has affected the staffing levels at all local health institutions.
"There is inadequate health infrastructure, leading to unequal distribution of medical facilities, resulting in difficulties in accessing such facilities. Residents have to drive or walk long distances to access medical help."
He said the masterplan also seeks to address the shortage of space for businesses.
"There is a shortage of industrial space for SMEs and the informal sector. Light and service industrial activities are taking place within residential and other undesignated areas."
The masterplan will deal with waste water and solid waste management as well as water infrastructure.
"The main causes of water pollution in Harare include sewage and waste water, industrial activities, agricultural runoff, solid waste and ageing infrastructure. Subsequently the effects of water pollution also include health risks and diseases such as cholera and typhoid, environmental impacts, such as harming the aquatic life and affecting the food chain, and economic consequences such as impacts on agriculture, industry and tourism leading to economic losses."
Mr Nyabezi said the municipality lacked financial resources to formulate a risk and disaster management policy and the masterplan should help the city address the issue.
"Poor emergency response: The city's emergency services and disaster management capabilities are often overwhelmed and lack the resources to effectively respond to crises. There is need to improve risk, hazard and vulnerability assessment and monitoring capacity through increased investment and producing a risk and disaster management policy."
He said the city's transportation system and road network needs a revamp to help reduce accidents.
"Traffic congestion and road accidents have been a headache in Harare. Several factors like the city's population growth and increase in car ownership, poor road infrastructure and lack of effective transport systems have largely contributed to everyday traffic jam issues.
"Moreover, road accidents have also increased because of traffic congestion, poor road infrastructure and poor maintenance of the traffic lights in the city as the majority of them are often not working," he said.