It is nearly a year since the City of Harare Mayor and councillors where sworn in, and they have executed the Herculean task of running the affairs of Harare with tenacity, audacity and grace.

Granted that the Metropolitan City has many challenges, dating as far back as 1975, the amount of groundwork done is a sure foundation for great work ahead.

To take over the reigns after a Zanu PF appointed commission is never an easy task.

Mayor Hebert Gomba, has made it very clear, that his council is focused on a transformative agenda as they seek to achieve a world class city by 2025.

This vision looks impossible, but Clr Gomba is adamant.

He is knocking on every door, leaving no stone unturned to ensure every resident puts their hands on deck to make Harare work again.

In his own words, this is the time to reestablish service delivery in the Capital.

“We should not be demanding for service delivery that is non-existent. Our generation is there to re-establish service,” he said.

This is a clarion call for action from all residents!

The council is theirs, service delivery is for their benefit and therefore, everybody must be able to contribute towards the vision of achieving a World class city by 2025.

In his first 100 day Programme, Mayor Gomba and team introduced a performance based contract system to encourage activity in council departments.

What was in existence was a structure that allowed non-working members of the staff to claim salaries. The system also aided corruption and increased revenue leakages for the council.

Council has managed to fix roads, rehabilitate the Morton Jaffray water works, and most importantly engaged with the residents.

Not withstanding the crisis of legitimacy that has affected the nation, the city urges on.

The Kuwadzana Library is open to the public now, the TARIRO Clinic, the biggest satellite clinic in Harare is open to the residents of Harare South constituency.

Furthermore, the Geydon/Harare Drive round about is looking amazing, as residents await spaghetti roads from the MDC- led city council.

An amazing interchange has been designed for the Mbudzi roundabout to deal with congestion as well as to beautify the area.

A clinic is set to be commissioned in Mabvuku, three schools are being constructed in Kuwadzana and Budiriro, whilst ground breaking ceremonies for other schools have taken place.

The CBD beautification Programme is ongoing with corporates adopting islands or streets to refurbish and beautify.

This is progress.

The man at the helm of the city is aware of the challenges of navigating the political terrain vis a vis the genuine expectation of residents and call for service delivery.

In a country that is struggling to make the economy work, the city of Harare has done exceptionally well.

The Acts governing local authorities has not helped in any way because procurement of even the most basic of all engineering departments like valves for instance, takes too long to approve. By the time approval is granted, the money is not enough, and the process starts again.

So in order to circumvent some of these bottlenecks, the Mayor and his team enrolled the services of corporates to address most of the challenges.

Whilst some have contended that the City fathers have failed, many believe Gomba has proved himself and the capacity the city has.

Internal investigations teams were set up to probe corruption in all council departments, another forensic audit is on the cards.

The council have enlisted the services of the Auditor General to do a skills audit and make recommendations to ensure the city runs effectively.

It is these systems that are required to make Harare work again.

Mayor Gomba is very clear that residents want more service and less politics. Residents need quality, affordable healthcare, they want water in their homes, garbage to be collected, roads and bridges to be maintained, they want to know their bills, education for their children and homes to live in.

The Mayor is quiet aware.

Clr Gomba knows that in order for Harare to fully function, industry must function, therefore policy consistency is necessary.

In order for Harare to work, residents must also take part in finding solutions for Harare challenges.

Clr Gomba is also aware that unless there is order at Central Government and of devolution is fully implemented, funds remitted to local authorities and each authority has control over its procurement processes, albeit with proper accounting and auditing of the same, the City of Harare would be at a different stage.

While many have dismissed the Councillor of Glen Norah’s Ward 29, Clr Gomba is no push over. He will not be bullied into taking extra-legal means to satisfy a rogue central government.

Efforts to impose service providers by the line ministry against the need to go for tender has been greatly contested, in most cases with processes halting completely.

Whilst it’s not good to stall the projects, it is better that they be done well the first time.

With such a character running the affairs of the city, the best way forward is to join him and his team to make Harare work again.