By Staff Reporter
The Harare Residents Trust (HRT) has lambasted the Harare City Council for increasing rates at a time, residents are failing to cope with economic challenges induced by prolonged lockdown in the country.
HRT said it is disappointed that Council had increased rates without take note of residents’ objection to the proposed rate increases.
“HRT is disappointed that the City of Harare increased rates by +500 percent despite the fact that the nation is emerging from a prolonged lockdown where most people stayed at home and did not generate income. The increase in rates does not reflect the level of incomes and the capacity of ratepayers to meet their monthly financial obligations,” said HRT in a statement.
HRT further said it is disheartening that the Council submitted their finalised proposed budget to the Minister of Local Government and Public Works without reviewing their rates as per the residents’ request.
“The residents’ objections were submitted to the Town Clerk’s office and logged in by the City of Harare as confirmation that the local authority had received the objections from identified rate payers. In spite of this public interest principle the City of Harare neglected it and proceeded to submit their finalised proposed budget to the Minister of Local Government and Public Works for his approval,” said HRT.
According to HRT, Section 219 of the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29.15) says that where more than 30 residents raise objections on a single service delivery issue, the City of Harare is then obliged to revise downwards their proposed budget without the need to re-advertise.
The HRT said that the exorbitant charges clearly shows how the council is not sensitive to residents’ plights as most people cannot afford to settle their bills due to financial constraints.
Further, HRT said there is a need to revise the 2021 budget and make it friendlier to ratepayers.
HRT proposed to the City Council that they should cut rates by between 30- 50 percent depending on nature of service and introduce a three-month 50 percent rates payment promotion on the current rates.
Among other proposals, the residents organisation proposed that the Council should be flexible on issues of affordability and level of responsiveness by ratepayers, be inclusive in all Council programming to ensure a complete buy-in of consumers and key stakeholders, prioritise plugging all the leakages or replace dilapidated underground water infrastructure and fully implement the provisions of the City of Harare Service Delivery Charter.
The City of Harare has always been at loggerheads with residents due to its failure to provide a satisfactory service to rate payers.
Most of Council officials have been accused for focusing on self-enriching corruption activities at the expense of service delivery.
