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Abel Zhakata
Senior Reporter
MUTARE City Council is embroiled in an ugly conflict with ratepayers over steep tariffs contained in this year’s approved budget, which the local authority is being accused of crafting without proper consultations as provided for by the law.
Ratepayers — both commercial and residential — feel that in coming up with the budget, council did not consider their plight in the wake of ongoing lockdown spawned by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The lockdown has resulted in most businesses closing shop.
The municipality is being accused of conducting a flawed consultation process last year that excluded real stakeholders in the crafting of the budget that was recently approved by the Government.
However, the local authority has rubbished the claims, saying all due processes were done.
In the new budget, council effected an average 400 percent increase across the board and these new tariffs have been met with resistance from ratepayers.
Households are complaining that the new water billing system is expensive, while the business community fears that the new licensing tariffs are exorbitant and will push them out of business.
The United Mutare Residents and Ratepayers Trust (UMRRT) has rejected the new tariff structure and urged council to review rates downwards.
In a recent Press statement, the Trust said the 2021 budget was borne out of a flawed process.
“UMRRT condemns the violation of legal provisions governing municipal budgeting by the City of Mutare. We are very concerned with the recent tariff hike on the basis that it is a product of a flawed process. City council has once again clandestinely increased tariffs without approval and inspection by residents despite several efforts made by UMRRT to get council to charge reasonable tariffs during a pandemic.
“When the city council advertised the 2020 supplementary budget and tariff adjustment, residents and ratepayers submitted 2000 objections to them. We had a series of meetings with the council in October and November last year, one with the finance director in which he promised that residential rates would be adjusted and that a review for commercial rates was in progress. We have appealed to council several times to consider ratepayers’ plight during this pandemic. Most citizens are unemployed, non-essential businesses are closed, the informal sector is on lockdown. The Covid-19 pandemic has worsened the situation.
“Residents and ratepayers are financially crippled and for council to continue milking them is unbelievable…UMRRT reiterates that any budget or rates increment that is a product of a flawed process will definitely impact revenue collection because of lack of buy-in by residents. We appeal to council to reconsider the tariff hikes because they are not sustainable in this economic environment. We recommend that council strongly takes into consideration the concerns of the ratepayers and revert back to old tariffs.”
Mutare City Council spokesperson, Mr Spren Mutiwi, said UMRRT’s position on the budget was misleading.
“City of Mutare has noted with concern the misleading and unfounded tariffs increases being circulated on the social media platforms without being substantiated. The approved tariffs were designed to ensure continuity of service delivery.
“No clandestine process was done, consultations were done in accordance with the provisions of the law and residents representatives and the business community among others attended. The proposed tariffs were advertised in the Press and the budget was approved by the parent ministry. The only major highlight is the stepped water tariff which calls for discipline in water usage,” he said.
Mr Mutiwi said council has since mandated managers to look into the concerns raised by residents.
“A special council meeting which was convened on Wednesday mandated managers to relook at the budget and come up with a thorough analysis of the step-up water tariffs, licensing and clinic fees.
“What people must know is that things are also difficult for the local authority because we are also operating in the same Covid-19 environment. In these difficult times, council is expected to provide good services even if people don’t pay rates. The cost of providing those services should be factored in to ensure that there is continuity in terms service delivery,” he said.
Mayor, Councillor Blessing Tandi, said cries from ratepayers are loud and clear and the local authority will move with speed to revisit the rates issue.
“We have asked our managers to relook into the tariffs and come up with viable recommendations. As soon as I get input from management we will engage our stakeholders and map the way forward in terms of revisiting the tariffs and come up with widely acceptable figures. However, what people must understand is that sub-economic tariffs will greatly affect service delivery and we don’t want a situation whereby in the near future ratepayers will cry foul when services fall. Let us ensure that we come up with a win-win situation,” he said.
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