HARARE City Council’s proposed master plan has been dealt a huge blow after residents rejected it saying it fails to address the city’s legacy issues such as corruption and poor service delivery.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2023 ordered all the country’s 92 councils to come up with master plans by June last year to enhance service delivery.
A city master plan is a blueprint, typically spanning 10 to15 years, that guides the city’s growth and development and also acts as a roadmap, outlining its vision for the future and strategies for making it a reality.
The City of Harare failed to meet the November 2024 deadline to submit its proposed deadline despite reports indicating that the municipality shelled out nearly US$3 million to develop the document.
It was until recently when the local authority gave residents up to October 1 this year to make submissions to the proposed master plan before the final draft is handed over to the Local Government ministry.
Addressing a full council meeting last Thursday, mayor Jacob Mafume was, however, singing a different tune saying the proposed master plan was ready for adoption.
“Our master is ready and we have since handed it to the Local Government ministry for its consideration,” Mafume said.
In a letter dated October 3, 2025 directed to Local Government minister, Daniel Garwe, the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) objected to the master plan.
“The CHRA hereby registers its objections and proposes relevant submissions to the proposed 2025-2045 Master Plan for the City of Harare, which appears to have significant material gaps in several critical areas,” reads the letter.
“As CHRA, we believe it is essential to highlight these omissions to ensure the plan’s effectiveness and sustainability.
“Specifically, the omission of Section 6.3 with sub-sections 6.3.1 City of Harare Properties…Land Asset Management Structure, Valuation Roll, and Institutional Capacity to implement Real Estate Development.”
The CHRA said the absence of the ‘aforementioned critical sections from the draft master plan rendered it incomplete and incomprehensive.’
The residents requested the immediate incorporation of the omitted sections into the master plan by the municipality as specified under Section 15 of the Regional Town Planning Act 20:27.
“We urge the City of Harare to revisit the draft plan and address these critical gaps to ensure a comprehensive and sustainable master plan that benefits all stakeholders,” the CHRA said.
“We respectfully implore you to exercise full transparency in the receipt and consideration of all objections submitted.”
Harare Residents Trust director, Precious Shumba, said the local authority had no institutional capacity to implement the master plan.
“They are far behind and have a lot of legacy issues they need to address,” Shumba said.
Harare’s last master plan was unveiled in 1996.
The municipality has said the proposed master plan was developed to guide the city’s growth and ensure sustainable urban development.
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