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Herald Reporter
Harare City Council is conducting pre-budget consultations for next year by engaging stakeholders, including youths and persons with disabilities, to gather their views on the administration of funds.
However, the process has faced criticism in the past for being largely ceremonial, with ratepayers’ inputs often excluded from the final budget.
During the consultations, Juliet Gorejema from Zimbabwe Women in Progress, an organisation advocating for persons with disabilities, urged the city council to provide financial assistance to enable persons with disabilities to start their businesses after completing vocational training.
City of Harare social service official Auxilia Nemaunga however, advised persons with disabilities to visit council halls citywide to register for different services which include healthcare services and counselling.
“We empower persons with disabilities through different activities such as sewing, carpentry and opportunities for exposure in our different vocational training centres across the city,” she said.
Youths in Harare also attended the 2025 pre-budget consultative meeting at Town House where they submitted their input.
Junior councillor Barbra Gonyora said youths are facing unemployment challenges, hence the need to upgrade recreational facilities.
“The rate of unemployment among the youths is very high and this has resulted in drug and substance abuse,” she said.
City community officer for women and youth affairs Tariro Tizora said youths must play a leading role in the budget preparations so that their expectations and desires are met.
In Mbare residents stressed the need for security, maintenance of recreational and sporting facilities, automation of bus terminuses, and replacing the piping for sewerage and water infrastructure.
They also urged the council to invest in creating properly designated marketplaces for vendors to boost council coffers while also proposing 24-hour and seven-day revenue collection at bus terminuses.
A resident Charles Ruwizha said there was a lack of security in the area and suggested the deployment of dedicated municipal police post in the ward.
Online Reporter