Service station deals spark alarm

KUDAKWASHE CHIBVURI

The proliferation of service stations in Harare’s residential areas  has triggered outrage among residents and environmentalists, who accuse the city council and regulatory bodies of corruption.

Concerns have been raised about the environmental and safety risks  posed  by these developments , with critics alleging that approvals were granted through opaque processes involving Environmental Management Agency (EMA), the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) and other political actors.

This follows the worrying rapid growth of service stations that have been built on several corners in the city’s residential areas.

Questions have been raised over the matter with environmentalists questioning the logic behind the city giving away land in residential areas for such “risky developments”.

Suspicions have also been raised over why council gave out approvals for such developments raising eyebrows that corruption was at play.

The matter has also been raised by the President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed Commission of Inquiry to deal with suspicions of financial mismanagement within the city.

Chairperson of the council’s Environmental committee, councillor Takudzwa Dzumbunu, confirmed before the commission of inquiry that the planning process by officials on service stations was opaque.

She attributed this to property owners exploiting loopholes by changing land use designations to allow for service stations.

Evidence leader Thabani Mpofu highlighted that numerous service stations are located on residential stands, indicating widespread corruption among Harare City Council officials and councillors.

 “There is one service station currently under construction along West Road in Avondale. It is about 100 meters from the West and Suffolk intersection, and less than 500 meters away, there is another station at the corner of Sydney Malunga Road and West Road. Both are smack in the middle of residential areas,” Mpofu noted.

“Those two service stations are neighbours to residential areas. One of them is a neighbour to residential areas on three sides, the other one on two and these are just two that I have chosen,” said Mpofu.

Precious Shumba, Director of the Harare Residents Trust, told Business Times that rampant corruption within the council has facilitated the rise of service stations in the city compounded by a lack of oversight from the Environmental Management Agency.

“There is a lot of corruption in the local authorities and there is also a lack of monitoring by EMA,” Shumba said.

“We expect the Regional Town and Country Planning Act to be implemented fully. However, most service stations are being established in residential areas, wetlands, and hazardous locations near intersections. This poses serious challenges in emergencies such as fire outbreaks or unforeseen leaks that could pollute the environment.”

“So this is caused by massive corruption involving councillors and technocrats within local authorities. The weakness we have also noted is the issue of environmental impact assessments that are undertaken by the owners of the service stations and they always come out with a positive report which disregards environmental protection,” he added.

Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) Director Reuben Akili said the service stations pose a greater risk to the residents and the environment adding that an investigation to establish how they are being regulated should be undertaken.

He said there was no due diligence being done from council level to ZERA, EMA and other involved institutions leading to the “mess.”

Akili said the process was marred in secrecy.

“The deals are mired in secrecy and it is across the country and we have to dig deeper on why we have many service stations in the last two or so years.

However, acting Director of Town Planning Samuel Nyabeza told Business Times that there was nothing sinister about proliferation of the service stations adding all was above board and necessary for the local authority to make money.

“We consult experts and neighbours and decisions are made with full council endorsement,” he said.

“The vehicle population in the city is increasing daily. We now have around 1.5 million vehicles in Harare compared to less than a million five years ago. The proliferation of service stations is simply a matter of supply meeting demand,” he added.

“A decision is made which is endorsed by full council then a payment is granted with several conditions. But before the service -station is built, before building plans for self-stations are submitted, we will require that the applicant goes to EMA to apply for an environmental impact assessment approval.”

“Before they grant the certificate, they invite stakeholders around that area to a meeting to hear their views. They do thorough interrogations about the safety, about the issues pertaining to underground water, safety of the neighbours, safety of the public before they grant the EIA certificate. Then they will now be able to start submission of building plans.”

Investigations however, show all this process was not followed adequately.