A new survey has found that Harare residents remain uncertain and skeptical about city authorities as some services improve with partisan violence apparently on the increase.
In the survey conducted in 15 areas in the City by the Combined Harare Residents Association, residents indicated that violence was their number one concern. Most of the violence is politically-motivated. Residents say service delivery, though slightly better since the formation of the coalition government in 2009, remains poor at the most.
According to the survey, nearly 87 percent of residents, some from areas like Mbare, Mufakose and Highfields high density suburbs, who were knowledgeable of institutions such as the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC) and the organ of national healing, said the bodies had failed to mitigate violence in their communities.
They all blame Zanu PF youths known as Chipangano for the increasing violence in some parts of the city. The youths have been taking over market stalls, council premises and forcing people to attend their political meetings.
VOA was unable to reach Zanu PF Harare province’s youth chairman Jim Kunaka, who’s accused of leading the violence.
Combined Harare Residents Association director Mfundo Mlilo said the survey sheds more light on the residents’ continuing concerns, which he says should be addressed as a matter of urgency.
Among other issues, residents also complained about the politicization of food aid and the bad service delivery by the Harare city council.