Online Reporter
Herald Reporter
WARD 4 residents in Mbare have called on the City of Harare to review council rates and introduce more affordable payment arrangements, saying charges should be commensurate with the services being delivered.
The concerns were raised on Monday during the ward’s 2027 pre-budget consultation meeting convened by Ward 4 Councillor Boniface Kundai Maburutse.
Residents, particularly those living in hostels and flats, said their submissions from previous budget consultations had not been adequately reflected in subsequent budgets.
Residents said they could afford to pay about US$25 a month. Others proposed that the US$38 monthly charge previously discussed for hostel accommodation be retained, with outstanding debts being placed under manageable payment plans.
The meeting was well attended, with residents arguing that lower charges would improve compliance and ultimately increase council revenue.
Councillor Maburutse said residents want the 2027 budget to take into account their ability to pay while ensuring that council delivers services in line with the revenue it collects.
“Residents are saying they are willing to pay, but the rates must be affordable and must correspond with the services they are receiving,” he said.
“We have raised these issues in previous consultations, but residents feel their submissions have not been adequately reflected. We want the 2027 budget to respond to the realities on the ground in Mbare.”
The councillor said the recurring concern among hostel and flat residents is the gap between the charges being levied and the quality of services available to them.
Residents also suggested that existing arrears could be separated from current monthly charges and settled through payment plans, allowing households to meet their current obligations without being overwhelmed by accumulated debt.
However, the proposal appeared to clash with the position of the district office, which indicated that officials could not formally introduce such an arrangement without the necessary authorisation.
The disagreement highlighted the broader challenge facing the council as it seeks to improve revenue collection while ensuring tariffs remain affordable.
The issue of affordable billing has emerged as a recurring theme in Harare’s 2027 budget consultations.
Concerns come as the city intensifies consultations towards the 2027 budget. The consultation process is being used to gather residents’ priorities before the next financial plan is finalised.
For Mbare residents, however, the immediate priority remains a tariff structure they can realistically afford.
The US$38 figure has previously featured prominently in the dispute over hostel charges.
In July, Councillor Maburutse said an engagement with the city’s housing department had resulted in an agreement to reduce hostel rentals from US$90 to US$38, although council workers continued to charge the higher amount, citing the absence of an official directive.
The city’s position at the time was that council tariffs are determined through the budget process, submitted for ministerial approval and gazetted before they become legally enforceable.
