Chronicle Editor
Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
THERE has been an outcry from farmers and business people in Bulilima after the Rural District Council (RDC) in Matabeleland South increased rates by between 50 and 200 percent.
It is reported that the RDC had their 2021 budget approved but some residents allege that not enough consultations were carried out hence the high rates. It is alleged that the RDC effected a 200 percent increment for their unit tax where farmers and villagers now pay US$2 a hectare up from US$0,50.
“Residential stands application fee which was US$15 is now US$38, which equates to an increase of 154 percent, residential stand rental which was at US$15 per month is now at US$25 per month, an increase of 67 percent, shop licences on the other hand went up on average by 100 percent.
These charges were imposed on rate payers without due regard to their input during budget consultation in 2020.This is symptomatic of corporate mis-governance, if left unchecked it will not be good for the district,” said a concerned resident who preferred anonymity.
Another small-scale farmer in the district accused the RDC officials and councillors of being concerned only about self-enrichment at the expense of the district.
“Bulilima ratepayers are being squeezed into poverty by officials and councillors who are after enriching themselves at the expense of ratepayers bearing in mind it’s in natural region four. Some of these charges were imposed on rate payers.
“We plead with authorities to intervene and try to stop this variation from good governance bearing in mind that Bulilima RDC years back was rated as one with an overpaid chief executive officer,” said the resident.
Contacted for comment the Bulilima RDC chief executive officer Mr John Brown Ncube while confirming the rates hike said this was all done in consultation with the people from the district.
“Our budget making process is straight forward, we consult our residents before coming up with these figures, we then forward the final budget to the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works who have the final say and in our case this very budget was approved by the Ministry. It is unfair and not true that we just developed these figures, as you might know it will be illegal for us to do that and the Ministry was certainly not going to approve our budget if we did that,” said Mr Ncube.
Questioned on allegations that the RDC’s officials were focused on self-enrichment, Mr Ncube claimed they were one of the few councils that had the worst conditions of service saying they directed most of their funds towards service delivery.
“If you look at the vehicle I am driving you will see that this self-enrichment claim is not true, even our salary scales we make sure that they fall under the service delivery to staff cost ratio of 70 percent is to 30 percent.
“However, all I will say is that everyone is entitled to their own views and we respect them as long as they are constructive. My advice is that now that we are starting a fresh round of consultations for the 2022 budget, people should attend these sessions so that they can air their views,” said Mr Ncube.
Bongani Ndlovu