Source: Council, community set up oversight committee to drive development in Harare South – herald
Obey Musiwa
Online Reporter
HARARE City Council and local communities have established a joint oversight committee aimed at accelerating development in Harare South through a collaborative model that blends council authority with community ownership—spanning title deeds, clinics, schools and beautification campaigns.
The District Monitoring and Evaluation Team (DIMET) is fast becoming a symbol of how decentralisation can deliver tangible results under Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030.
Speaking to Zimpapers, Harare City Council Regional Manager Engineer Norman Karidza said DIMET was born out of stakeholder engagement and is designed to align regional activities with council policies and the broader Government thrust.
He said the initiative ensures inclusive planning and a sense of ownership among residents.
This initiative is community-centric, aligning our regional activities with the City of Harare strategy, Call to Action, and SI 170 of 2025. The collaborative approach guarantees sustainable development and a sense of ownership in the region,” Engineer Karidza said.
DIMET operates on a three-tier structure comprising implementation, supervisory and steering committees, ensuring that residents are not passive recipients of development but active participants in shaping their future.
Engineer Karidza noted that the three-tier execution strategy provides structure and accountability.
“The implementation team focuses on day-to-day operations within the district. The steering team, headed by the Regional Manager, offers strategic direction in line with council policies, community needs, and government thrust,” he said.
DIMET Supervisory Committee Chairperson Ms Kuziva Barbara Towemhera highlighted progress in securing title deeds, beautification, and health infrastructure. She said the initiative has already delivered title deeds in Southlea Park and is working to extend land security to other districts.
“We managed for Southlea Park to receive its title deeds. Ushewekunze and Border Gezi are still verifying their names to join us,” Ms Towemhera said.
She added that the committee is driving modernisation and social empowerment.
DIMET Implementation Committee Chairman Cde Trust Rutsvara emphasised his personal history with the area and the committee’s role in bridging residents and council. He said DIMET transformed a former tobacco training institute into a clinic proposal, now under council assessment.
“I then proposed a clinic on that tobacco training institute infrastructure and it was seconded by everyone who was there. As we speak right now, the departments of City Council are coming here and there to assess for renovations,” Cde Rutsvara said.
He said the implementation committee champions unity, peace, and development through practical projects.
“We are ambassadors of unity, peace and development between residents and city council. ‘Our community, our responsibility’—that is our slogan,” he said.
DIMET head of Supervisory Committee on Local Governance Pastor Tawanda Utete emphasised governance priorities and the importance of aligning with Vision 2030.
He said DIMET is focusing on infrastructure, service delivery, and transparency as the region transitions from the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) to NDS2.
“We have aligned ourselves with the mantra of President Mnangagwa under Vision 2030. We are mostly considering infrastructure development, service delivery, community engagement, security, land use, and budget transparency,” Pastor Utete said.
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