Title : ZIMBABWE: Harare, Condition Of Roads Is Bad And Street Lights Are Lacking, Without A National Currency
link : ZIMBABWE: Harare, Condition Of Roads Is Bad And Street Lights Are Lacking, Without A National Currency
ZIMBABWE: Harare, Condition Of Roads Is Bad And Street Lights Are Lacking, Without A National Currency
Harare is home to some two million people, with most in central Harare but some 500,000 in the surrounding districts of Rural Harare, Chintungwiza and Epworth.
Once a city of modern buildings, wide thoroughfares, numerous parks and gardens, it suffered from increasing disrepair thanks to Zimbabwe's economic downward spiral.
However, there have recently been a few signs of improvement as the decision of the country to adopt the US dollar as its currency has begun to facilitate some investments.
The capital city retained the name Salisbury until 1982.
The name of the city was changed to Harare on 18 April 1982, the second anniversary of Zimbabwean independence, taking its name from the village near Harare Kopje of the Shona chief Neharawa, whose nickname was "he who does not sleep".
Prior to independence, Harare was the name of the black residential area now known as Mbare.
In the early 21st century Harare has been adversely affected by the political and economic crisis that is currently plaguing Zimbabwe, after the contested 2002 presidential election and 2005 parliamentary elections.
The elected council was replaced by a government-appointed commission for alleged inefficiency, but essential services such as rubbish collection and street repairs have rapidly worsened, and are now virtually non-existent.
Harare officially called Salisbury until 1982 is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe.
Situated in the north-east of the country in the heart of historic Mashonaland, the city has an estimated population of 1,606,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area.
Administratively, Harare is a metropolitan province, which also incorporates Chitungwiza town and Epworth. It is situated at an elevation of 1,483 metres (4,865 feet) above sea level and its climate falls into the subtropical highland category.
The city was founded in 1890 by the Pioneer Column, a small military force in the service of the British South Africa Company, and named Fort Salisbury after the British Prime Minister Lord Salisbury.
Company administrators demarcated the city and ran it until Southern Rhodesia achieved responsible government in 1923. Salisbury was thereafter the seat of the Southern Rhodesian later Rhodesian government and, between 1953 and 1963, the capital of the Central African Federation.
It retained the name Salisbury until 1982, when it was renamed Harare on the second anniversary of Zimbabwean independence.
Harare is Zimbabwe's leading financial, commercial, and communications centre, and a trade centre for tobacco, maize, cotton, and citrus fruits.
Manufactured goods include textiles, steel and chemicals, and gold is mined in the area.
The city's suburbs include Borrowdale, Helensvale, Greendale, Chisipite, Shawasha hills, Mbare, HIghfields, Kuwadzana, Marlboro, Marlbereign, Vainona, Mount Pleasant and Avondale, Glen View, Budiriro, Southly Park, Warren Park; the most affluent neighbourhoods are to the north.
The University of Zimbabwe, the country's oldest university founded in 1952, is situated in Mount Pleasant, about 6 km (3.7 mi) north of the city centre.
Harare is home to the country's main Test cricket ground, Harare Sports Club, and to Dynamos F.C., Zimbabwe's most successful association football team.
In May 2006 the Zimbabwean newspaper the Financial Gazette, described the city in an editorial as a sunshine city-turned-sewage farm.
In 2009, Harare was voted to be the toughest city to live in according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's livability poll.
The situation was unchanged in 2011, according to the same poll, which is based on stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.
In May 2005 the Zimbabwean government demolished shanties and backyard cottages in Harare and the other cities in the country in Operation Murambatsvina or Drive Out Trash.
It was widely alleged by residents and politicians that the true purpose of the campaign was to punish the urban poor for supporting the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and to reduce the likelihood of mass action against the government by driving people out of the cities.
The government claimed it was necessitated by a rise of criminality and disease.
This was followed by Operation Garikayi/Hlalani Kuhle or Operation "Better Living" a year later which consisted of building concrete housing of poor quality.
In late March 2010, Harare's Joina City Tower was finally opened after 14 years of on-off construction, marketed as Harare's new Pride.
Initially, uptake of space in the tower was low, with office occupancy at only 3% in October 2011. By May 2013, office occupancy had risen to around half, with all the retail space occupied.
The Economist Intelligence Unit rated Harare as the world's least liveable city out of 140 surveyed in February 2011, rising to 137th out of 140 in August 2012.
During late 2012, plans to build a new capital district in Mt. Hampden, about twenty kilometres (12 miles) north-west of Harare's central business district, were announced and illustrations shown in Harare's daily newspapers.
The location of this new district would imply an expansion into Zvimba District. The plan generated varied opinions.
In March 2015, Harare City Council planned a two-year project to install 4,000 solar streetlights, at a cost of $15 million, starting in the central business district.
The city sits on the one of the higher parts of the Highveld plateau of Zimbabwe at an elevation of 1,483 metres (4,865 feet). The original landscape could be described as a parkland.
Harare has a subtropical highland climate. The average annual temperature is 17.95 °C (64.3 °F), rather low for the tropics, and this is due to its high altitude position and the prevalence of a cool south-easterly airflow.
There are three main seasons: a warm, wet season from November to March/April; a cool, dry season from May to August (corresponding to winter in the Southern Hemisphere); and a hot, dry season in September/October.
Daily temperature ranges are about 7–22 °C (45–72 °F) in July (the coldest month), about 15–29 °C (59–84 °F) in October (the hottest month) and about 16–26 °C (61–79 °F) in January (midsummer).
The hottest year on record was 1914 with 19.73 °C (67.5 °F) and the coldest year was 1965 with 17.13 °C (62.8 °F).
The average annual rainfall is about 825 mm (32.5 in) in the southwest, rising to 855 mm (33.7 in) on the higher land of the northeast,from around Borrowdale to Glen Lorne. Very little rain typically falls during the period May to September, although sporadic showers occur most years.
Rainfall varies a great deal from year to year and follows cycles of wet and dry periods from 7 to 10 years long. Records begin in October 1890 but all three Harare stations stopped reporting in early 2004.
The climate supports a natural vegetation of open woodland. The most common tree of the local region is the Msasa Brachystegia spiciformis that colours the landscape wine red with its new leaves in late August.
Two introduced species of trees, the Jacaranda and the Flamboyant from South America and Madagascar respectively, which were introduced during the colonial era, contribute to the city's colour palette with streets lined with either the lilac blossoms of the Jacaranda or the flame red blooms from the Flamboyant.
They flower in October/November and are planted on alternative streets in the capital. Also prevalent is Bougainvillea.
Harare has been the location of several international summits such as the 8th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (6 September 1986) and Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 1991.
The latter produced the Harare Declaration, dictating the membership criteria of the Commonwealth. In 1998 Harare was the host city of the 8th Assembly of the World Council of Churches.
In 1995, Harare hosted most of the 6th All-Africa Games, sharing the event with other Zimbabwean cities such as Bulawayo and Chitungwiza.
It has hosted some of the matches of 2003 Cricket World Cup which was hosted jointly by Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Several of the matches were also held in Bulawayo.
The city is also the site of one of the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA), which has featured such acclaimed artists as Cape Verdean singer Sara Tavares.
The public transport system within the city includes both public and private sector operations.
The former consist of ZUPCO buses and National Railways of Zimbabwe commuter trains.
Privately owned public transport comprised licensed station wagons, nicknamed emergency taxis until the mid-1990s, when they were replaced by licensed buses and minibuses, referred to officially as commuter omnibuses or Makombi.
The National Railways of Zimbabwe operates a daily overnight passenger train service that runs from Harare to Mutare and another one from Harare to Bulawayo. Harare is linked by long distance bus services to most parts of Zimbabwe.
The largest airport of the country Harare International Airport serves Harare.
Soccer is most popular among the people of Harare. Harare is home to Harare Sports Club ground. It has hosted many Test, One Day Internationals and T20I Cricket matches. Harare is also home to the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League clubs Dynamos F.C., Harare City, Black Rhinos F.C. and CAPS United F.C..
Residents are exposed to a variety of sources for information. In the print media, there is the Herald, Financial Gazette, Zimbabwe Independent, Standard, NewsDay, H-Metro, Daily News and Kwayedza.
There has been an increase of online media outlets. These include ZimOnline, ZimDaily, Guardian, NewZimbabwe, Times, Harare Tribune, Zimbabwe Metro, The Zimbabwean, The Zimbabwe Mail and many others; however, a number of factors have combined to effectively eliminate all media except those controlled by the state.
Therefore, it is difficult to find a news source that is not bribed or influenced by the government.
The government controls all the electronic media, though Voice of America, Voice of the people and SW Radio Africa beam broadcasts into the country without the clearance of the regulatory authority.
Harare's airport is the major gateway for flights into the country. Air Zimbabwe also operated a small network of domestic flights before ceasing operations.
However, an increasing number of foreign airlines are flying into Harare these days. They include South African Airways with direct flights from Johannesburg. Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Ababa, Kenya Airways from Nairobi, TAAG Angola Airlines from Luanda and Egypt Air from Cairo via Dar es Salaam and KLM from Amsterdam.
Taxis from the airport to the main hotels cost $25. This exhorbitant fixed price, given the relatively short distance and great age of the taxis, is attributed by the drivers to the high fees that they have to pay to the airport authority.
Bulawayo sees departures three times a week at 8PM, arriving next morning around 8AM. $12 for a sleeper and $10 for a seat.
Trains from Mutare at the border with Mozambique runs three times a week departing Mutare also at 9PM, arrival time in Harare is early morning at 6AM. $7 for 1st class sleeper. $5 for 2nd class sleeper.
There are currently no international trains to Harare except occasional cruise trains.
Harare railway station is located on Kenneth Kaunda Ave, just south of the city centre.
A good road from Johannesburg allows easy access. However, be careful of the sometimes frightening drops at the side of the roads, at the edge of the tarmac, particularly with oncoming trucks at night. In fact, night driving is not advised.
Buses from Johannesburg are easily available ranging from Eagle Liner (for R330). Greyhound (for R450) and Intercape (R420). The bus takes between 16-24 hours. Delays at the border are very common and typically range 3-8 h, but they can be as much as 20 h at Christmas time.
Intercape, which has the largest intercity network in southern Africa also have buses from Mutare, Masvingo, Gweru, and Bulawayo.
Most ordinary long-distance bus services arrive at the Mbare Terminal, located 3 km southwest of the Central district. The terminal itself is giant, hectic, confusing, and dangerous.
There are several disconnected regions of the terminal, and finding something as simple as a taxi can require walking over 500 m through markets and alleys.
Although minibuses to Mbare depart from the 4th Street Terminal in Central located at 4th and Mugabe, it may be worth taking a taxi, which will be able to find a bus to your destination for you.
Luxury buses including Eagle Liner/Greyhound/Intercape arrive and depart from the modern Roadport terminal at 5th & Mugabe.
Harare is very spread out. The best option to get around is by car, which is easier now that dollarization has made fuel shortages a thing of the past. Fuel is freely available at most outlets for cash or through a coupon system.
Most operators now import fuel by themselves and prices are independently set. Most service stations close at around p.m. although there are a number that offer 24-hour service.
Taxis: in 4+1 style taxis, it is very common to fit as many as 8 people inside. Rides around town should cost about $5 for the entire cab at night, typically $2 or $3 during the day, unless you are going to the suburbs. Make sure you negotiate the price before you get inside the car
Minibus taxis are readily available with frequent services between central and all suburbs. Ask around for the terminal for your destination. Typically the fare is about $0.50c.
There is a strong appreciation for the city's cultural and historical heritage and a number of the older buildings have been preserved.
The Mining Pension Fund Building at Central Avenue and Second Street is one example and many more are to be found along Robert Mugabe Road between Second Street and Julius Nyerere Way.
1 National Gallery of Zimbabwe. Houses not only a valuable and interesting national collection but also hosts travelling international exhibitions and has a permanent display of some outstanding Shona soft-stone carvings.
2 National Heroes Arc.
3 National Archives. Houses a priceless collection of Rhodesiana and Africana in the form of diaries, notebooks and reports of various origins. Some of the original works of some of the greatest names in African exploration and missionary can be viewed.
4 Zimbabwe Museum of Human Sciences. Formerly the Queen Victoria Museum.
5 Harare City Library. Formerly the Queen Victoria Memorial Library
6 The Kopje. A granite hill rising above the southwest corner of central Harare, is a great place to go for views of the city.
7 Chapungu Sculpture Park. The vast number of rocks of black serpentine stone found around Zimbabwe, and noticeable even as you drive in from the airport, have encouraged the development of stone carvings by Zimbabwe's talented artists.
This large area has exhibitions by numerous artists.
8 Harare Botanical Gardens, Sandringham Dr. 68ha and hosts more than 900 species of wild trees and shrubs from all over the country.
9 Mukuvisi Woodlands, Hillside Rd, 277 hectares of remarkably preserved natural woodland that straddles the banks of the small Mukuvisi stream. A variety of bird and of wild animal species such as giraffe, zebra, impala, tsessche, wildebeest, bushbuck, steenbuck, reed buck and eland can be viewed.
All purchases in larger stores are made with US dollars, which is the national currency.
Anything made locally is inexpensive. Packets of Zimbabwe cigarettes cost $0.50. Everything that is imported is relatively expensive compared to South Africa. Cans of Coca-cola typically cost $1, for example.
If you want to experience shopping the way it is traditionally done in many African countries, you could stroll around at the open flea-market at Mbare. Here tourists could feast their eyes on a colourful array of baskets, food, clothing and other items.
ATMs give US dollars. The ATMs at Ecobank, Stanbic, Standard Charted will accept most international Visa or Master cards'
Eastgate Centre, Robert Mugabe Rd. One of the largest shopping malls in Harare, centrally located.
Spar Supermarkets. there are 64 Spar stores all over Zimbabwe.
TM-Pick N Pay Supermarkers. there are over 50 TM-Pick N Pay stores all over Zimbabwe.
OK Supermarkets. there are over 50 OK stores in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe's staple food is Sadza: a thick white porridge a bit like mashed potato, that's made from corn (maize) meal. It's eaten at every meal, accompanied by vegetables or meat in some form.
In Harare there are many westernised restaurants serving European or American style food, but far more exciting are the outdoor cafes:
Cafe espresso on Cork Road, Avondale, Harare has a brilliantly landscaped garden and a wifi spot - excellent coffees
40 Cork Road, Avondale, Harare is an outdoor cafe, art gallery, and sculpture garden. Very much the place to be seen.
167 Enterprise Road, Chisipite, Harare - an old house converted into a restaurant with a huge garden with a pool, an art shop, gallery etc.
With the dollarisation of the economy, there has been a big increase in the number of restaurants and coffee shops in Harare. The Zimbabwe Tourism website has also recently been upgraded.
Amanzi Restaurant, 158 Enterprise Road, Highlands. Generally considered Harare's best restaurant, Amanzi is a long ($10-15 each way) drive out of town into the upmarket suburbs but worth it. A booking is essential, or you probably will not get past the gatekeeper.
2 Coimbra, 61 Selous Avenue, corner 7th St,$5 taxi ride from the main hotels. This Portuguese restaurant has invested little in the decor but that is no problem. You go for the food, not the wall decorations, and the food is very good. Quick Service - Half a Chicken and Chips only $10 $25.
Try Chibuku, a popular local beer. It comes in "scuds" - large 2 litre brown plastic containers. The beer is lumpy and opaque beige, but is good and painfully cheap.
Shake-shake is prepackaged sorghum beer brewed in the traditional African style and is very thick and filling, and comes in milk cartons.
The locally brewed Castle, Lion, Zambesi and Bohlingers are definitely worth trying.
Harare has a vibrant club scene that goes on until the early hours.
Stars, located next to the Rainbow hotel, is a high class bar/club/lounge that plays hip hop and house music. It can be expensive but a lot of fun.
Symphony is a hip hop club/lounge very similar to Stars.
Globe Trotters, also known as GT, is a much less expensive club.
Balcony is very similar to Globe Trotters.
Beverlino Restaurant, 100 Nelson Mandela Corner Fourth/Nelson Mandela (Opposite Quality International Hotel. Beverlino Restaurant, well known for its baskets, offered a wide range of food and beverages prepared to your taste.
Wherever, you are in town, the warm savoury food will be brought to your door step. Place an order for food now.
The city boasts an internationally recognized 5 star hotel (The Meikles Hotel), but also has a significant number of three to four star hotels that offer affordable accommodation without compromising on quality.
These include The Crowne Plaza Monomotapa, The Cresta Lodge and The Holiday Inn. There is now only one cheap backpackers lodge. Harare also has quite a number of bed and breakfast/guest houses, mostly set in former residential houses with extensive gardens.
Small World Backpackers Lodge, five avenue and Ninth street in down town Harare. and At the corner of Ridge and Argyle in Avondale. It costs $12 per person in the dorm and $7 per person camping. some private rooms are available. the only backpacker hostel in Harare. $7/$12.
Bowood Lodge, est House, 8, Gu Bowood Road, Mount Pleasant, North Harare, has 4 double rooms. It is set in beautiful grounds and has internet and a pool. Very peaceful. Costs are around $75 per night for bed & breakfast. Evening meals are also available.
Cresta Oasis, Nelson Mandela Way. Three-star hotel just to the east of the Central Business District (walkable during the day, not advisable at night). Around $100.
Simba Harare, est House, 522, Gu Westgate, New Adyllin, North Harare, has 8 double rooms, and a large swimming pool. Own water supply (borehole) and el (Solar energy). Internet. Safe.
Costs are from $20 per night (cabin) to $ 50(Main House) for bed & breakfast.Larger groups have been accommodated. Airport pickup arranged per request.
1 Crowne Plaza Monomotapa, 54 Park Ln, Northwest corner of the Central Business District. Backing onto the Harare Gardens park, this moon-shaped hotel provides comfortable accommodation.
2 Holiday Inn, Samora Machel Ave.
3 Meikles Hotel, Jason Moyo Avenue,Next to Africa Unity Square. Despite the problems experienced in Zimbabwe in recent years Meikles has managed to maintain its standards as one of Africa's best hotels. All the usual amenities and excellent service. Prices start at $200 per night.
WiFi is available around the city provided by private from as little one as 1 USD
Walking around the town after dark should be avoided. If you leave your hotel to visit restaurants, take a taxi.
Epworth Balancing Rocks are located on Chiremba Road, 10km Southwest of Central. Looks for the signs on the left. 4th Street Terminal has frequent minibus services to the Balacing Rocks--the driver will know where to let you out.
Be careful of your personal safety inside the park. The cost is between $2 and $10 per person depending on the situation.
The condition of the roads in Zimbabwe has deteriorated dramatically in recent years since the government has failed to maintain them. Most of the country is now without street lights.
The main highways are still in a good state of repair outside of the cities: traffic is so light now that damage from trucks is minimal. You should be all right without a 4x4 unless you head into rural areas and game parks.
If you enter from South Africa, be sure that your insurance waiver is valid for travel in Zimbabwe.
Tourism Observer
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