By Elishamai A Ziumbwa
The City of Harare has pledged a comprehensive shake-up of its service delivery systems, vowing to restore public confidence through transparency, accountability, and renewed partnerships with the private sector.
Speaking at the ISO certification ceremony for Harare City Parking, Mayor Jacob Mafume said the achievement marked more than just a quality assurance milestone — it was the beginning of a citywide reform agenda.
“City Parking has had its problems, but the progress made shows how a municipally owned utility can be transformed into a reliable service provider. We must now carry that spirit into every other department,” said Mafume.
Mafume revealed that revenue generated from city parking would be reinvested into the capital’s infrastructure with a strong focus on cleaner streets and better roads.
“One of the pain points has been, where is the money going? We are addressing this. A significant portion of City Parking revenue will now be reinvested directly into road maintenance and traffic infrastructure,” he said.
The mayor also highlighted the importance of public trust and called for open scrutiny of critical council services such as water provision.
“We must allow independent testing of our water. No bureaucracy. Just write us a letter. The public deserves assurance that they are not consuming anything harmful,” he said
Mafume added that city authorities were currently working on improving waste management systems, ambulance response services and energy generation initiatives that are part of a broader revival of Harare’s master plan, the first such review since 1996.
“We are laying the foundation for a world-class city. By December, residents will start seeing the results,” he said.
The announcement comes amid growing pressure on the local authority to fix deteriorating infrastructure and service delivery standards across the capital.
