City, residents clash over road levy

Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
Masvingo city residents have demanded the reversal of a $3 road levy that was recently introduced by council saying the move was effected without consultation.

Residents are against the new levy, arguing that they would sink deeper in debt as they were already struggling to pay their rates.

Council started collecting the road levy at the beginning of February. Masvingo United Ratepayers and Residents Alliance spokesperson Mr Godfrey Mutimba last week said the levy was illegal and should be scrapped.

“We have learnt with shock that our council moved to introduce $3 road levy per household per month without even bothering to consult residents, he said. That is wrong because there was no consultation.

“It was an arbitrary decision by the city fathers.’’

Mr Mutimba said residents were already debt-ridden as they had outstanding water bills.

“This is unacceptable, the local authority should not implement this road levy until proper consultations are done,” he said.

“Otherwise, we would be confrontational as residents. Residents are already struggling to settle their outstanding bills and council has threatened to engage debt collectors to recover the outstanding debts.”

Community Working Group on Health provincial chairperson Mrs Entrance Takaidza said council was violating residents’ rights through arbitrary introduction of new levies.

“Council should consider that residents are major stakeholders who should not be overlooked when such decisions are done,” he said.

“In 2016, we paid a $2 road levy for some time, but we were not given a synopsis of what was realised from our contributions.

“We deserve to be engaged over what we are expected to pay instead of receiving statements with additional payments that have not be explained to us.”

Masvingo mayor Councillor Hubert Fidze said the decision to introduce the road levy was aboveboard.

“Consultations were done and most residents are fully aware,” he said.

“All eight councillors held meetings with residents in their respective wards and if residents’ representatives were not informed, it could have been due to communication breakdown.”

Clr Fidze said there was a high level of transparency in the administration of the road levy.

He said in 2016, council raised at least $400 000 from the old road levy and procured road equipment which was commissioned last year.