Council, Govt clash over charges

their lack of appreciation of the cost council incurs in the provision of basic service delivery to ratepayers
The remarks by the mayor follow the reduction of water and health charges last week.
Mr Masunda said council would approach individual ministers to inform them of the city’s challenges.
He said the city was owed US$150 million by residents, business and Government departments and institutions suggesting that reducing the city’s charges would further worsen the situation.
Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo last week announced Government-approved water and health charges.
Fixed water charges for high density suburbs were reduced to US$5 from US$7 while those for low density areas were pegged at US$11 from US$13.
Domestic water would now cost 20c per cubic metre for the first 20 cubic metres, 60c for any consumption between 21 and 50 cubic metres while any usage above that attracts a US$1 charge per cubic metre.
Harare’s water supply is very erratic with some suburbs going for a month without water.
The city has cited funding problems as the reason for failing to deliver enough water.
Hospital and clinic fees were also reduced with maternity fees reduced to US$25 from US$50.
The majority of residents prefer council clinics and Government hospitals because they are affordable and well stocked with medicines and drugs.
But Mr Masunda was not impressed with the new reduced charges choosing to refer to the Government intervention as an attempt by members of the Government of national unity to score “brownie points against each other to the detriment of stakeholders”.
“Our GNU should wake up and smell the coffee in terms of the real costs of providing a world class service to the expectant mothers at our polyclinics as well as supplying potable water to a hub of four million people in Greater Harare, Chitungwiza, Norton, Ruwa and Epworth,” he said.
But Minister Chombo in announcing the downward review of the tariffs defended the Government position.
He said the rationale was to cushion the majority whose salaries are very little and insufficient to meet the monthly consumer basket threshold.
Minister Chombo said it was better for local authorities to collect all the funds they bill for rather than keep “the poorly paid” residents in perpetual arrears.
But Mr Masunda feels that in the end the worst affected would be the less privileged “to whom we are obliged to provide basic services like education, health, affordable housing, pothole free roads and proper transportation system”.
Asked what he would do now, Mr Masunda said he had “set into motion” a strategy to work closely with about 15 Ministries that have serious cross cutting issues with Harare.
“I do not know how many ministers have as keen an appreciation with all due respect, as they should have of what it takes to run a complex and diverse metropolis like Harare.
“We all need to be on the same page as to what needs to be done and how it will be done,” he said.
While Mr Masunda was pining over the reduced charges, Harare Residents Trust expressed its excitement over the new charges.
“To us in the HRT, this is a major victory because the Minister has demonstrated that public institutions should go by the wishes of the citizens,” said HRT co-ordinator Mr Precious Shumba.
He said the charges announced by Minister Chombo conformed to residents’ demands adding that it was not wise for the city management to continuously pick fights with residents.