Harare submits long-delayed masterplan proposal

After missing the initial June 30 deadline, the Harare City Council and Chitungwiza Municipality have finally submitted their masterplan proposals, Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe confirmed yesterday at the Zimbabwe 2024 SADC Protocol @ Work Summit and Awards in Harare.

"All our 92 local authorities have now submitted the master plans," announced Minister Garwe. "Harare City Council and Chitungwiza Municipality have now submitted, meaning all the masterplan proposals are now in the hands of the Local Government and Public Works Ministry."

In addition to the masterplans, Garwe confirmed that local authorities have submitted their valuation rolls and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, which aid in managing finances. "All the masterplans are now out there for public scrutiny," he added.

Harare City Council faced particular scrutiny, having received an ultimatum from the Government last week to submit a complete draft by November 20. According to Minister Garwe, the council initially submitted an incomplete, placeholder document that failed to meet the standards outlined in the Regional Town and Country Planning Act.

Minister Garwe warned that failure to produce a comprehensive masterplan by the November 20 deadline would be deemed a "gross miscarriage of a critical statutory obligation," which he described as "untenable and overly unacceptable."

President Mnangagwa had previously directed all 92 councils to complete their masterplans by mid-2024 to prevent the spread of unplanned settlements and promote organized urban development. The recent submissions mark a significant step in aligning urban growth with national planning standards and addressing Zimbabwe's rapid urbanization.