Chronicle Editor
Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
Gweru City Council has effected the 2021 budget in a development that has seen bills for ordinary households in Mkoba suburb going up to $3 000.
In the low density suburbs, some residents will pay as much as $11 000 up from around $4 500.
Government approved the budget in January.
The 2021 budget has also seen service charges being increased sharply with burials going up from $1 000 to $1 600 while rentals at council-owned two-roomed houses in Mkoba will go up from $600 to about $1 100.
The occupation certificate fee for home- seekers was raised from $5 000 to $8 050 while beacon relocation costs went up to $14 490 from $9 000.
Gweru Mayor Councillor Josiah Makombe confirmed council has effected new tariffs in line with the approved budget.
“Our 2021 budget was approved by the Minister (July Moyo) and we have now effected the new tariffs billing with effect from January and statements are being dispatched as we speak. The 2021 budget increased from $ 1,9 billion to $ 2,9 billion 2021,” he said.
Clr Makombe said the local authority is going to meet residents after they complained over the new tariffs.
“We hear residents are crying foul over the new tariffs and we are going to meet them to discuss the way forward,” he said.
Cllr Makombe said the 2020 financial year was a difficult one for the city due to the effects of Covid-19.
“We witnessed a downward trend in cash inflows into our coffers. We collected $188 million by December 2020 after billing $378 million meaning residents are not settling their bills. We have sent final demand letters to defaulters,” he said.
Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association director, Mr Cornilia Selipiwe said residents will continue defaulting settling their accounts as they have been doing in the past due to the hard economic situation that has been worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Residents are not going to be paying the new rates as they are doing now and while we appreciate that it impacts negatively on service delivery, the residents are in a tight comer and can’t settle the bills. Not even a single ward out of the 18 agreed to this budget,” he said.
Mr Selipiwe said a household in Mkoba which was paying bills of about $1 000 a month will now be paying $3 000.
He said council even sent final letters of demand during the lockdown.
“We are planning to meet the city fathers. We are planning a demonstration; we are on it and will do something. We can’t let our residents suffer at the expense of these people.
“For example, for water, it has increased after changing tariff regime. Previously zero to 20kl had one figure which was cheap for residents, but now, council has introduced zero to 5kl, six to 10kl, 11 to 20kl meaning that an average bill in Mkoba gets to $3000, in low density suburbs $11000,” he said.
Mr Selipiwe said the budget was approved by Minister Moyo after he was allegedly misled by council on the situation on the ground.
“The city fathers didn’t give us an opportunity to respond to the budget before they submitted to the Ministry. We didn’t send our objectives. The Minister didn’t have that background and he just approved and we presume basing on the lies from council.
“But bottom line is we can’t pay and we won’t pay because we don’t have the means. Lockdown affected the economy a lot and council should have factored that in,” he said.
Online Reporter