adminMidlands Correspondent
REDCLIFF Town is now a dark city after power cables were vandalised and stolen, the mayor, Councillor Fred Kapuya has said.
Clr Kapuya said they have gone for nine years without streetlights resulting in the steel town recording an upsurge in robbery and mugging cases due to the darkness.
“Our town now resembles a rural set up. Since 2005, Redcliff has been without street lights due to vandalism and theft. Power cables were stolen while some street lights that survived the vandalism are no longer functional owing to lack of maintenance,” he said.
Clr Kapuya said the council resolved to levy each household $60 to be paid over a period of three months in instalments of $20.
He said council needs at least $50,000 for the street lighting project.
The levy will take effect this month.
However, the new levy has set the Redcliff Municipality and its residents on a collision course.
Residents say they were never consulted on the issue and vowed not to pay the money.
The residents held a meeting at Zisco club on Saturday last weeek where an interim committee chaired by Benedict Moyo was put in place.
Moyo said he will be meeting councillors and the municipality management over the issue as his first assignment.
He accused council of taking advantage of the payment of allowances of New Zimsteel to milk residents.
“While we understand the need for street lights, council should understand the plight of residents most of whom are employed by New Zimsteel. These people have gone for years without receiving salaries.
“The fact that the company has paid workers allowances does not mean that they have money. In fact residents owe council a lot of money so that proposed levy will worsen their situation,” he said.
Clr Kapuya dismissed Moyo’s argument.
He said residents were consulted on the issue during budget consultation meetings.
The mayor said it was the residents who requested that council repair vandalised street lights.
Online Reporter