Rise in resident associational life in response to service delivery decline by urban councils in Zimbabwe

Norbert Musekiwa,Kudzai Chatiza

doi:10.5130/cjlg.v0i0.4489

Abstract

This article links the decline of service delivery in urban councils in post-independence Zimbabwe to a rise in levels of associational life. Poorer urban residents cannot easily escape poor public sector service delivery by resorting to the private market. In response to declining service delivery by councils, ratepayers form residents’ associations to do three main things. First, they confront councils and pressure them to restore delivery capability. Second, they produce those services that councils are unable or unwilling to provide. Third, they defend residents against the predatory actions of councils. However, the capacities of residents’ associations in these three areas have yet to be established. Notably, limited formal opportunities exist for engagement between councils and residents’ associations which restricts their effectiveness. This paper argues that, if supported, residents’ associations can deepen local democracy while simultaneously facilitating the repair of councils’ capabilities – thus meeting disparate community demands and organising members to contribute to council recovery.

Highlights

Residents’ associations (RAs) in Zimbabwe are a pre-independence and predominantly urban phenomenon, their visibility and numbers have grown dramatically since 1980, with a spike post 2000
The rise in the numbers, mandate, and geographical spread of residents’ associations (RAs) occurred within a context of political liberalisation that witnessed the growth of significant opposition to the previously unchallenged Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) (Kamete 2009)
What have been the main functions of RAs, and, second, are RAs appropriately structured and resourced to engage councils and other stakeholders in order to respond to failures of local authorities and to contribute to the reconstitution of local governments’ service provision capabilities?

Summary

Introduction

Residents’ associations (RAs) in Zimbabwe are a pre-independence and predominantly urban phenomenon, their visibility and numbers have grown dramatically since 1980, with a spike post 2000. Zimbabwe’s post-2000 socioeconomic crisis resulted in a significant decline in local authorities’ capability to deliver essential services such as housing, water and sewer reticulation, refuse removal, street lighting, primary health, and basic education (Government of Zimbabwe 2010; Kamete 2009: 65; Musekiwa et al 2013) so residents (more so in urban and less in rural areas) responded to the failures of local governments by creating RAs and increasing the visibility of such associations (Kamete 2009: 63). Post-colonial Zimbabwe has seen a shift to private sector provisioning in housing and primary health care, as local authorities failed to satisfy demand It has been nearly impossible for ratepayers to opt out of public sector water, sanitation and waste collection services. Citizens’ participation in various forms, including RAs, is sometimes seen to promote better decisions and ‘more efficiency benefits to the rest of society’ (Irvin & Stansbury 2004: 56)

Methodology

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Conclusions