Residents vow to resist shock Mutare tariff hike

SYDNEY SAIZE IN MUTARE

Mutare residents have vowed to resist the implementation of a 300% tariff increase announced by Mutare City Council, describing the move as unjustifiable.

The residents through the United Mutare Residents and Ratepayers Trust (UMRRT) and the Conscious Development and Empowerment Trust (CODET) are now calling for re-engagement and further consultations with the greater residents’ bodies.

In a statement UMRRT said as residents’ representatives they were very concerned with the recent tariffs hike which they said was a product of a “flawed process”.

“City Council has once again clandestinely increased tariffs without approval and inspection by residents despite several efforts made by UMRRT to get Council to charge reasonable tariffs during a pandemic.

“When City Council advertised the 2020 supplementary budget and tariff adjustments, residents and ratepayers submitted 2,000 objections to Council which resulted in a series of meetings with Council in October and November 2020, where it was promised that residential rates would not be adjusted and that a review for commercial rates was in process.

“We have appealed to Council several times to consider ratepayers during this pandemic.

“Most citizens are unemployed, non-essential businesses are closed, the informal sector is on lockdown and the Covid-19 pandemic makes their situation worse.

“Residents and ratepayers are financially crippled and for the City Council to continue milking them when they have objected last year’s budget is unbelievable,’’ reads part of the statement.

“We view this move as undemocratic and it is evident that City Council is going to face a huge resistance from residents who are already struggling to make ends meet.

“Section (288)(2) (a) of the Urban Councils Act 29:15 stipulates that when the estimates presented in terms of subsection (1) the council shall ensure that copies of the estimates are forthwith made available for inspection by the public.”

This provision gives residents and ratepayers powers to object the proposed tariffs for reconsideration.

It is understood that residents have had concerns since last year on the proposed charges but the concerns were ignored.

UMRRT said any budget or rate increment that is a product of a flawed process will impact revenue collection because of lack of buy-in by residents.

“We appeal to the City Council to reconsider the tariffs hike because it is not sustainable in this economic environment.

We recommend that the City Council strongly takes into consideration the concerns of the residents and revert back to old tariffs,” UMRRT said.

Vimbai Berete, the CODET executive director has launched a multi-stakeholder campaign aimed at advocating social dialogue on issues of socio-economic accountability and justice in the City of Mutare.The campaign, titled, ‘Social Accountability and Justice Campaign,’ is aimed at bringing together residents, council authorities, civic society and business in the wake of shocking rate hikes for both residential and commercial properties in the city.

This hike which the City fathers said has been necessitated by rising costs of other services has dealt a heavy blow to thousands of struggling families and small businesses in Mutare, Berete said.  

“The ongoing Covid-19 induced national lockdown has seen many residents who rely on informal economy activities being thrown into the throes of poverty as their activities were locked.  

“Small businesses have also not been spared as those which are not deemed as essential have been stopped from operating.

Further, salaries for both private and public sectors have not been increased yet rentals have doubled or tripled,” she said. 

Berete said landlords have replicated the council action by raising monthly rentals across the city.  

“As CODET we view the recent hikes which have been done without consultations as unjust and should therefore be reviewed. We further note that for this to happen we need to come together as residents, business, civil society, church, informal sector and council authorities to come together and discuss solutions to these challenges, said Berete. 

But Mutare mayor Blessing Tandi said their budget had been crafted on the recommendations of 2017 base adding the current rates are lower than in past years.

Tandi said the council had also halved the education levy of US$1 per household and the rates and supplementary charges averaging between US$7 and US$10 monthly for most high residential suburbs.

“Water is self-financing and ring fenced as well, so if we step up tariffs the majority with a consumption close to 40mᵌ litres would get bills of up to ZWL$2 000 or US$20 every month, without other charges and struggle to pay,” Tandi said.

 “Let us encourage our communities to take our budget with an objective mind; we have a lot to do for the smooth flow of service delivery in the city.”