About Us
Join Us in Making Harare Livable
The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) is a residents led and residents owned association of Harare founded in 1998 as an umbrella body of local, then small and less organized residents associations in Harare.
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In 1999, CHRA registered as a trust and over the years has grown to become the leading voice of Harare residents on political, social and economic issues. CHRA has two affiliate ward based residents associations and over 100 corporate members. With thirty-six ward structures that mirror the City of Harare`s administrative wards, the core mandate of the association is to represent and support all residents of Harare.
CHRA works through a grassroots membership organized from the ward level up, including individual and affiliate membership. Ward committees coordinate the activities at a micro-level. This includes helping CHRA with dissemination of information to the membership and bringing to the attention of CHRA the service delivery challenges faced by communities. CHRA`s role is bridging the gap between the residents and local authorities on service delivery. To date, programs at local level include increasing citizen participation in local governance, deepening constitutionalism, promoting citizen participation in elections, campaigning for devolution, human rights promotion and protection, public accountability and empowerment of women.
At national level, CHRA advocates for efficiency and transparency at all levels of local and central governance.
CHRA is a member of the Zimbabwe United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance (ZURRA), a vibrant national platform for common articulation of local governance issues. With a firm belief that realization of the constitutional provisions on devolution is key guaranteeing service delivery, CHRA collaborates with like-minded civil society organizations in advocacy initiatives campaigning for devolution.
Communities directly affected by service delivery challenges must have financial, political and administrative power to address those challenges without deferring to central government.
CHRA also works with like-minded coalesced civil society on themes related to democratization, human rights, debt and elections. CHRA encourages responsive leadership and people-centred policy formulation processes through consultation.
