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Wimbainashe Zhakata Mutare Correspondent
CHIMANIMANI Rural District Council has appealed to the Government to come to its assistance after it lost part of its revenue base due to Cyclone Idai.
Chimanimani RDC chief executive officer Mr Nehemiah Deure told a Cyclone Idai provincial public dialogue meeting in Mutare last week that they were no longer collecting any revenue from the cyclone-affected areas.
“We are no longer collecting revenue in affected areas anymore because they have no source of livelihood,” he said. “We have issues such as housing, water and sanitation, roads, bridges and council revenue incapacitation, clinics, schools, livelihoods among others that need to be noted.
“As rural district councils we survive through revenue collection in surrounding areas. We supply and sell water in our district, but because of the destruction we have stopped collecting revenue from Ngangu and Machongwe villagers as well as other areas that were seriously affected.
“It is hard for us to collect revenue from them because most of the people in that area lost their sources of livelihood. These people are now relying on food handouts. A total of 2 012 out of 33 000 households in Chimanimani were affected, so we appealing to the Government to assist us,” said Mr Deure.
He said the council was greatly affected in terms of revenue and their 2019 budget was subsequently reduced.
“The council’s revenue has been greatly affected and it is now difficult for villagers to acquire stands in Chimanimani for fear of a recurrence of the Cyclone Idai disaster,” said Mr Deure. “Our 2019 budget was reduced by 60 percent which means we will no longer be able to meet our recurrent expenditure.”
Responding to the recommendation, Manicaland provincial administrator Mr Edgars Seenza said Government was willing to assist the council and they were working on it.
“Government is doing something to assist on revenue back-up and it is also willing to assist on other issues and they are pouring resources,” he said.
The meeting was attended by several Government officials, traditional leaders as well as development partners.
Online Reporter