adminElizabeth Tsuro, Midlands Reporter
RESIDENTS of Zvishavane have rejected a $6, 5 million 2016 budget proposed by the Zvishavane Town Council.
Town Council secretary Tinoda Mukuta said a decision is yet to be made following reservations expressed by residents as consultations are yet to be concluded.
“We have an impasse for the 2016 proposed budget and we are still working on it. We are still consulting residents in other wards within this town. However, we are considering slashing down other tariffs and rates to meet their expectations,” he said.
Mukuta said the consultation process may take some time to conclude and the stalemate may affect service delivery next year.
He said so far they have held consultations in Makwasha suburb and at the town council’s offices where residents opposed council’s proposals.
Zvishavane residents who spoke to The Chronicle said if approved, the 2016 budget would result in an increase in rates and tariffs.
The chairman of the Zvishavane Residents and Rate payers Association, Peter Mudzviti, said the local authourity has to produce this year’s expenditure sheet so that residents see how their money was used to develop the town.
“People won’t approve the proposed budget until they show us their expenditure sheet for this year so that we know how they are spending our money to develop our town,” said Mudzviti.
“They always lie about consulting us when every time they always approve the budget without the residents’ input which is not fair.”
Solomon Moyo, a resident who resides in Makwasha suburb, said water charges should be brought down because they were not getting supplies all the time as water was rationed.
“We went to the consultative meeting and they presented the proposal to us. Unfortunately no one accepted it. It has the same amount as last year’s budget but the water and rates’ charges are very high,” he said. “We suspect they increased rates for their own benefit rather than delivering on services to the town.”
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