Tinaani Nyabereka
Gweru- Residents have come out guns blazing towards the local authority accusing city fathers of conducting the 2023 budget consultations without the residents at heart and thus neglecting their input.
Residents expressed concern over council’s move to fast track the adoption of the budget without proper interrogation of the proposed tariffs.
Most controversial issues which came under spotlight were that of water meter estimates where residents urged council to do away with estimate-based billing process and scrap off the five percent interest on all debtors as residents were struggling to cope with the 2022 rebased bills.
Residents also urged council to downsize the rebased 2023 budget with a 50-75percent margin.
Some of the changes which were effected into the budget are the increase in the cost of graves in town where burial for adults will require US$ 50 from the 2022 approved US$ 21 while during weekends US$ 50 will be required from the currently pegged US$ 42.
However children will be required to pay US$ 25 to get a grave from the current US$ 10.50
Speaking during an interview after a Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) budget engagement meeting yesterday, ward 4 resident Kenneth Sithole said the recently ended budget consultations were done haphazardly.
He added that as residents, they advocate for a turn down or failure to adoption of the budget citing a number of unclear issues.
“We were in ward 10, 11 and 14 where we managed to attend the budget consultations and agreed as residents not to adopt the budget until we understand how other wards received the budget.
“At least council must make sure that after conducting consultations; we conduct a feedback meeting inclusive of all wards so that we appreciate our input as residents.
“Our position as Gweru is clear; we don’t want the rebased 2023 budget to sail through. Let’s have it downsized with 50percent and be reverted to the 2021 budget that’s it. We don’t want to play games on things which affect us tomorrow,” Sithole said.
Mkoba 13 youth Juliet Mucharozva said council was pushing residents to adopt the budget without proper knowhow of the adoption process.
GRRA director Cornilia Selipiwe highlighted that two issues were involved regarding the proposed budget.
“I feel there are two issues involved. One is the aspect where the local authority is trying to smuggle the budget and go direct to the minister for approval without the consent of residents. The other issue is having residents who are adopting a document they don’t understand.
“We can’t predict council’s intentions as it seeks to smuggle the budget but rather a budget is not fully certified if it lacks the people’s voice. Clearly articulating the budget helps people appreciate the document, hence as resident associations, we have a mammoth task of helping people to understand how the adoption process impacts the budget process.
“Under normal circumstances a proposed budget should be different from the final one, as the proposed is tabled for scrutiny while the final contains inputs of all stakeholders and is submitted for approval. Of late, we have seen a bad culture in Gweru as a proposed budget sails through as a final document without the people’s views,” said Selipiwe.
Gweru Council Public Relations Officer Vimbai Chingwaramusee said consultations were conducted according to the given law despite low community turn out.
“Gweru City Council managed to conduct the 2023 budget consultations as stipulated at law and all stakeholders and wards were engaged by council.
“What disturbed us as council was the low turnout by youth, women and People with Disabilities. People didn’t attend the consultations at all. Imagine a big community like Gweru receiving very low numbers. We believe everyone must take part in these important budget processes,” she said.
Information obtained by TellZim News reveal that the low budget turnouts in Gweru were driven by frustrations as residents expressed concern over the unpredictable outcome of final budget.
However the proposed 2023 rebased budget is expected to be pegged at a total sum of US$ 46 million.
