Terrence Ndowora
The
Nemamwa business community recently refused to cooperate with a Masvingo Rural
District Council (RDC) finance department official who had been sent to them to
demand payment of shop licence fees.
The
finance department official, who was accompanied by a
security detail, went back to his work station empty-handed after business
owners turned him away.
“MRDC
dispatched Chinyan’anya from Finance Section accompanied by a security officer,
only identified as Chauke, to demand payment for shop licence for the current
term which ends in June 2021,” said a source.
The
business people, however, defied the council representatives saying they will
not pay unless council responded to their petition for a downward review of the
charges.
“The
official was told that a petition which was recently served to council was
constitutional and that business owners were justified in expecting a response.
Since the petition was served, there hasn’t been any official response by
Masvingo Rural District Council.
“When
Chinyan’anya was asked about response to the petition, he said he was new in
the office and knew nothing about it. We could therefore not entertain him and
he went back to his office empty-handed,” said a source.
Another
business person at the growth point told TellZim News that business owners were
willing to pay the shop license fees as long as council justified the increase
from US$24 per term which was paid last year going backwards, to the US$100 per
term which council currently demands.
“In
the recent past, members of the business community demonstrated at the council
offices, and council organised a meeting with Nemamwa Business Management
Committee (BMC). The council then promised to deal with the increase in fees
and revise it downwards but this was never done,” said the business person.
Others
accused Ward 12 Councillor Toddy Nyengerai of making empty promises that he was
going to table the issue in council and see to it that the charges are revised
downwards.
When
contacted for comment, Masvingo RDC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Martin
Mubviro complained there was no point in business people speaking about their
issues to the media, saying they must only follow the internal council
mechanisms to get their grievances addressed.
“Nemamwa
business people should approach us and see if there’s anything we can do for them. They cannot run to you media people as if we
have refused to listen to what they are saying,” said Mubviro.
