Harare Runs on Dust: No Tar for Over a Year as City Descends into Chaos
Harare’s crumbling roads have become a metaphor for its collapsing service delivery, with the City of Harare (CoH) forced to use soil and rubble to “repair” potholes—over a year after it last laid eyes on a single drop of tar.
Residents navigating the capital’s treacherous roads are now greeted not by the hum of progress but by clouds of dust and the crunch of broken asphalt.
Council officials have repeatedly blamed the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) for starving the local authority of crucial funds.
In scenes that now border on satire, city workers have been spotted shoveling dirt and rubble into gaping potholes, hoping to pass it off as road maintenance. But the illusion is wearing thin.
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At a recent full council meeting held at Town House, it was revealed without a hint of irony that the city has been unable to procure tar for over a year.
Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume laid the blame squarely on the garnishing of council bank accounts, even as he slammed city management for failing to secure basic supplies.
“Every government office is complaining about our roads. The solution? Pouring dust. We’re literally patching potholes with dust. It’s embarrassing,” Mafume fumed.
According to a NewZimbabwe report, CoH has been receiving remittances from both its cash-cow subsidiary City Parking and ZINARA, but these funds are being garnished before the city can even buy road-making essentials.
The rot runs deeper. Council’s procurement department has pointed fingers at the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) for delaying purchase approvals.
But others aren’t buying that excuse.
Councillor Denford Ngadziore called out a deeply embedded “cartel” within Town House, accusing officials of double standards.
“They face no delays when it comes to buying luxury vehicles for themselves. But when it’s tar for the people’s roads, suddenly it’s impossible,” he said.
As Harare’s roads vanish under the dust, so too does public confidence in a city administration that seems increasingly out of touch and out of tar.
