Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
THE Victoria Falls Municipality has proposed to hike most tariffs and rates by more than 300 percent and wants to introduce a special health levy that will see residents paying between US$1 and US$10 per month.
Residents should be prepared to fork out more on water charges, various licence fees including shops, properties and businesses, fire and ambulances services, property inspection fees and other key services.
Pregnant women who would have pre-booked at council clinics will now be required to pay US$28 and those not booked will pay US$60 while delivery and ward fees will be US$20 each.
Replacing a lost clinic card will attract a fine of US$60, a proposal that irked residents who have called for the removal of the fine.
The municipality has pegged its 2021 budget in United States dollars, convertible to the local currency using the prevailing official forex exchange rate. Residents who attended a stakeholders’ meeting on Tuesday implored the council to slash most of the proposed rates by at least 50 percent.
The council set its capital budget proposal at US$4 426 854 or $25 898 505 prioritising maintenance of offi e buildings, computers, motor vehicles, office and plant equipment and roads, among others.
Council will avail its total budget proposal in the final draft to be advertised after completion of the consultation process.
Residents have been advocating for scrapping of the street lights levy saying it had failed to serve its purpose as the town remains without street lights.
The residents however, did not object to the proposed health levy whose function will be to cushion vulnerable community members with primary health care needs while others proposed that council should introduce a recreational levy to be used to build recreational facilities.
Acting finance committee chairperson councillor Prince Thuso Moyo said council wants to employ a resident doctor. Activist Ms Yvonne Yandles supported the proposal saying Victoria Falls has a significant number of underprivileged residents especially the elderly who require help.
The issue of exorbitant water charges took centre stage as residents accused council of basing its bills on estimates.
Residents appealed to council management to suspend buying vehicles and set aside a budget to build a reservoir in Mkhosana to address water challenges and also to build recreational centres for youths. They implored council to replace faulty water metres which they said are a reason for high charges. The residents said the municipality should buy metres and bill respective ratepayers to recover the money.
The residents accused council of fleecing them by billing them based on estimate water readings instead of actual readings.
Town Treasurer Mr Neville Ndlovu defended the council billing system saying they use a standardised method of averaging based on amount of water each household uses.
Mr Ndlovu said council incurs huge costs in treating water, repairs and maintenance, labour and power among others.
He said the municipality has no capacity to buy meters for residents but said council was open to suggestions for a win-win situation.
Town Clerk Mr Ronnie Dube commended residents’ turnout for the 2021 budget meetings compared to previous years when people shunned meetings and complained after the passing of the budget. -@ncubeleo
Online Reporter