Online Reporter
Laura Maposa
MAYOR Jacob Mafume has explained the recently imposed water levies following criticism from the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA).
CHRA has accused the local authority of continuously shifting financial burdens onto residents.
CHRA director Rueben Akili raised concerns over the management of water-related funds, alleging that revenue collected for water services and infrastructure is often diverted to other departments.
Recently, the mayor introduced three new levies for public lighting, water infrastructure, and emergency services.
Under the new charges, residents in low-density areas will now pay an additional US$3 for the water levy, US$1.50 for emergency services, and US$1 for public lighting.
For high-density residents, the extra charges include US$1 for the water levy, US$1 for emergency services, and US$1 for public lighting.
Addressing the development, Mayor Mafume said:
“The genesis of the water levy dates back to 2000 when we obtained a Chinese loan – the much-talked-about US$144 million.
“However, the actual disbursement was not US$144 million but US$70 million, with the contractor charging US$21 million, bringing the total to US$98 million. That amount is still outstanding for the work done at Morton Jaffray and by the contractor.
“The government, at some point, paid US$13 million, but now it wants the money reimbursed by the city.
“The contractor’s fee remains unpaid, as does the remainder of the Chinese loan, minus the US$13 million paid by the government.”
He added: “We were faced with a situation where that amount had to be paid, and we had to introduce a special levy to cover the debt.
“The work was done—the pumps were replaced and upgraded—so we are hoping that by beginning to pay, we can persuade them to return and complete the works they started.”
Mafume said at present, there are no alternatives for raising the required revenue.
“At the moment, we have no other option but to rely on the special levy. If collections improve, we hope to clear the debt within 10 years.
“If we improve revenue collection by introducing water meters, we may be able to settle the loan earlier. It is better to pay off these debts so that we can secure new funding to improve our infrastructure.”
derick.khumalo