Online Reporter
Conrad Mupesa
Mashonaland West Bureau
Karoi Town Council has pledged to continue engaging the business community to address concerns over steep increases in property rates, saying it is committed to balancing sustainable revenue collection with creating a conducive environment for investment.
The assurance follows a petition by the Zimbabwe National Organisation of Associations and Residents Trust (ZNOART) Mashonaland West and the Karoi Business Community, who challenged the implementation of the town’s new valuation roll, arguing that it had triggered property rate increases of between 300 and 1 000 percent.
In the petition addressed to Town Secretary Mr Tongai Mandude, businesses said the sharp increases had placed an unsustainable financial burden on property owners and risked undermining Government’s Ease of Doing Business agenda.
The business community also accused the local authority of failing to urgently engage affected stakeholders despite repeated requests for dialogue.
Among its demands, the group called on council to review the valuation methodology used to determine the new rates, improve stakeholder consultation and make key documents, including the approved valuation roll and the 2026 budget, more accessible to ratepayers.
Responding to the concerns, Mr Mandude said council had not ignored the business community and had already held a consultative meeting with stakeholders on May 19 this year, where the issues surrounding the valuation roll were extensively discussed.
He said Karoi Town Council remained committed to fostering a business-friendly environment while operating within the provisions of the law.
“We are open for business and ready to engage with the business community. Our objective is to provide a conducive working environment that supports investment and economic growth in Karoi,” he said.
Mr Mandude explained that the valuation roll had been prepared in accordance with the Urban Councils Act and that all statutory procedures were followed before it was certified.
“The legal process of creating the valuation roll was fully complied with. Once the valuation roll has been certified by the Valuation Board, it becomes law and council cannot arbitrarily alter it,” he said.
He added that statutory notices inviting objections to the valuation roll had been published in the national Press, but no formal objections were received within the prescribed period.
Acknowledging concerns over the practical implementation of the new valuation roll, Mr Mandude said council had since sought technical guidance from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
Finance personnel subsequently underwent training on implementing the valuation roll, with particular emphasis on identifying approaches that would ensure property owners who had invested in developing their properties were not unfairly disadvantaged.
“The intention is to ensure that investors are not chased away from Karoi while at the same time maintaining fairness in the rating system,” he said.
Following the training, council convened a feedback meeting with stakeholders, where it was recommended that land size alone be used in determining the applicable rate weight for properties.
Mr Mandude said the proposal had since been submitted to the council’s Finance and Investment Committee and now awaits consideration by the full council before implementation.
