Chronicle Editor
Walter Nyamukondiwa Chinhoyi Bureau—
Government has approved Chinhoyi Municipality’s $20,5 million budget, in which a bigger chunk has been devoted to capital development projects in line with the Zim-Asset economic blueprint’s deliverables.The budget puts Chinhoyi in better stead to meet benchmarks set by Government for it to be awarded city status.
Smarting from rejection of its bid this year, on grounds that it had not met some of the basic requirements for attainment of such a status, Chinhoyi has embarked on rapid development to meet the criteria.
The Mashonaland West provincial capital has come up with a one year strategic plan that will culminate in another bid for city status in 2018.
Town clerk Mr Maxwell Kaitano said Chinhoyi appreciated observations made by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.
“We have sought to address issues raised by the Ministry so that we can get city status in the shortest possible time, which we know will demand focus on our part as a local authority and our stakeholder,” he said.
“We are very happy to have been one of the first local authorities to have their 2017 budget approved, which helps to set in motion our plans.”
In a letter dated December 23 and signed by Mr Munyaradzi Motsi on behalf of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Secretary Engineer George Mlilo, the ministry urged the council to concentrate on capital development.
“Gear up for good capital development projects. Tell the people and show them that their money is being used well,” reads the letter.
Government called on Chinhoyi Municipality to strengthen debt collection and introduce prepaid water meters, as a way of improving revenue collection.
The budget would finance the construction of two clinics in the new suburb of Ruvimbo and Orange Grove and a secondary school.
“In this year’s budget we set aside about $100 000 for the construction of a secondary school following construction of two primary schools in the past two years,” said finance director Mr Zephania Chirarwe.
“In line with gender budgeting, we are going to construct two clinics to make sure that health services are accessible to the people. In line with Zim-Asset goals to create employment and provide infrastructure, council will build market stalls in the town’s 15 wards.”
It is set to procure an additional fire tender and ambulance to augment the existing fleet at a cost of $126 000, while $130 000 has been earmarked for the purchase of a mobile water bowser and road maintenance equipment.
An additional $4 million has been set aside for the servicing of stands in Rujeko and Ruvimbo Phase 2 suburbs, where people settled without off site infrastructure.
The municipality has also introduced a road maintenance levy that will complement disbursements from zinara to reseal tarred roads and regrade gravel ones.
The council has already identified a contractor who has been given six weeks to scrap off pothole riddled tar, re-gravel the roads in the CBD and put a new coat of tar.
This means that at least six roads in town would be resealed, while patching of potholes would continue on other roads not covered by the programme for this year.
One of the main issues raised by Government was the absence of high rise buildings conforming with world standards.
An audit of buildings in the town showed that most stands were undeveloped for more than 10 years thereby putting the town in time warp.
Online Reporter