Chronicle Editor
Patrick Chitumba, [email protected]
IN a move aimed at decentralising essential services and enhancing convenience for residents, Government has officially commissioned a state-of-the-art $120 000 rates hall in Mbizo 15 suburb in Kwekwe.
Built by Kwekwe City Council (KCC) using its resources, the new facility addresses long-standing calls for improved access to revenue collection and other municipal services.
The facility enables residents to pay bills, taxes, and report faults without travelling long distances. Before its construction, residents from surrounding suburbs faced significant inconveniences accessing such services.
Speaking during the commissioning, Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Owen Ncube praised Kwekwe City Council for its proactive approach to improving service delivery.
He said the positive development confirms the Second Republic’s thrust towards re-engineering service delivery by local authorities.
“In this regard, President Mnangagwa’s people-centric blueprint, “A Call to Action: No Compromise to Service Delivery,” is driving the modernisation of service delivery, as well as adherence to all legislative provisions,” said Minister Ncube
“Accordingly, I applaud Kwekwe City Council for embracing the Vision 2030 Accelerator Call to Action model through the establishment of this state-of-the-art rates hall.”
Minister Ncube said the revenue generation facility must therefore translate to improved quality and speed up service delivery in line with Vision 2030.
“Kwekwe City Council’s Mbizo 15 rates hall was funded through council funds for US$120 000. Before its construction, residents travelled long distances to access basic services like bill payments and reporting faults, thereby causing unnecessary inconvenience and expenses,” he said.
“Following requests by residents during the 2022 budget consultations and guided by the New Dispensation’s listening approach, the council resolved to build a revenue hall in Mbizo 15 to bring service delivery and this is in line with the Government’s devolution and decentralisation agenda.”
Minister Ncube said the project is in line with the Government agenda that mandates local authorities to avail services closer to the people.
The new facility will also serve residents in Mbizo 15, Mbizo 18, Mbizo 21, and Mbizo 22.
Minister Ncube urged residents to prioritise paying their council rates to support further developments and stressed the importance of transparent and efficient management of public funds.
“I also call upon local authorities to utilise their revenue, guided by best practices that enhance people’s livelihoods, in addition to transparent and efficient management of devolution funds,” he said.
Minister Ncube commended Kwekwe City Council for its generally satisfactory performance across various metrics, including speed of service, attendance to sewer and water faults, refuse collection, and approvals of building plans.
However, he encouraged the council to intensify efforts in key areas such as providing secure and accessible trading spaces, preparing for the predicted above-normal rains in the 2024/25 season, expanding clinics, public toilets, and improving fire services and street lighting among other essential facilities services.
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