Ivan Zhakata

Herald Correspondent

Harare City Council is offering discounts of up to 20 percent to ratepayers who settle their outstanding accounts between January 19 and February 15, in a renewed push to revive service delivery that has slumped to 52 percent, Harare mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume has said.

In a statement this Wednesday, Clr Mafume said the incentives were part of measures aimed at improving revenue collection, which he described as the backbone of effective service delivery.

“A minimum collection rate of 80 percent is set for 2026 with progression to reach 100 percent thereafter,” he said.

“This is an enabler to continued service delivery, hence all relevant parties have to perform their respective mandates.”

This is in line with the Minimum Service Delivery Standards for councils launched by President Mnangagwa on June 26 in Bulawayo last year.

Statutory Instrument 170 of 2025, known as the Minimum Service Delivery Standards Indicators for Local Authorities, Regulations, is in place to support the call to action.

Clr Mafume said Harare City is owed more than ZWG8,4 billion by residents, businesses, Government departments and agencies, with residents accounting for about 80 percent of the debt.

The situation has contributed to the incapacitation of the council’s service delivery, he said.

Clr Mafume said council’s service delivery index averaged 52 percent in the last quarter of 2025, far below acceptable standards for a liveable capital.

Council is aligning its operations with the Minimum Service Delivery Standards, which focus on eight thematic areas, including water supply, sanitation, solid waste management, roads and public lighting, corporate governance, environmental stewardship, public health and housing and social amenities.

In addition to the rates discount, Clr Mafume said residents who settle their debts in foreign currency would enjoy additional benefits while customers who are fully paid up would receive loyalty points and account credits.

“Council, which adopted the Whole-of-Government approach, is alive to the various economic challenges faced by residents and businesses,” he said, adding that the incentives were designed to ease pressure on ratepayers during a period marked by school fees and other household obligations.

However, the mayor issued a firm warning to leaseholders, both domestic and commercial, and said Council would enforce lease agreements, including evictions against non-compliant tenants.

He also urged developers with unapproved structures to regularise their properties by complying with model building by-laws, noting that Council has opened a penalty-free window for plan approvals between January 19 and February 15.

Council will soon migrate to a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, BIQ, to improve billing efficiency, transparency and overall service delivery.

Said Clr Mafume: “Going forward, I encourage all residents and stakeholders alike to continuously engage and join hands with Council in shaping the Harare we all desire.”

The mayor said improved revenue collection would be critical, if Harare was to meet the newly launched service delivery standards and restore essential services across the capital.