By Beverly Bizeki
Councillors recently approved Masvingo City Council’s proposed US$32.5 million budget for 2025. The budget is largely prioritizing completion of on-going projects before starting new ones.
Chairperson of the Finance Committee, Ward 9 Councillor Bernard Muchokwa confirmed the approval of the budget which is running under the theme; ‘Improving Service Delivery for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development’, saying top priority goes towards Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).
“The approved budget allocated 55percent towards water, sanitation and hygiene projects while Social Services were awarded 16 percent, with the Administration costs gobbling 19 percent of the total budget. The remaining 10 percent was allocated to improving roads, public safety and security,” said Muchokwa.
There are 20 key projects that are targeted to be completed in 2025 and one of the major ones is establishment of a solar plant at the Bushmead Waterworks – about USD$5.5 million has been budgeted for the project. If successfully completed, the solar project will solve the water crisis that is currently bedeviling Masvingo City as well as stopping the ever ballooning electricity bill.
Water meters and telemetering equipment was allocated US$260 000 while water and sewer pumping equipment has been allocated US$165 000.
Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance Spokesperson Godfrey Mutimba said they were happy with council’s decision to prioritise WASH projects.
“As residents we are happy with council’s decision to prioritise WASH projects as their major projects in 2025. Water and sanitation has always been something that we needed to be priority number 1. We are facing severe water shortages, sewer bursts and hygiene challenges and council deciding to allocate 55 percent towards the project is in order. Residents also wanted council to prioritise water augmentation but in this budget council has only budgeted for money to do surveys and feasibility studies which should have been done a few years back. We wanted them to come up with a budget for a proper and commencement of the augmentation project as a whole because this means that next year we are not going to have the project running so it is not in sync with what residents are expecting,’ said Mutimba.
Mutimba also applauded the prioritisation of procurement of sewer and water equipment as the city had continuous sewer bursts.
“We are also satisfied with the allocation of procurement of about US$165 000 in buying sewer and water equipment that is in order because we are struggling to address sewer bursts and sewer blockages in the city. The available equipment is now archaic and dilapidated hence continuous bursts so we are happy about that,” said Mutimba.
Council also allocated US$1m for servicing of Rujeko D stands, US$800 000 for Morningside Low Density Stands, US$550 000 for WestView Industrial Stands and US$200 000 for Runyararo West stands.
As council also gives priority to ongoing projects, Mucheke Trunk Sewer is set to get US$400 000 with another US$400 000 allocated towards procurement of the new landfill equipment.
At least $50 000 has been allocated for the construction of a maternity wing at Runyararo West Clinic while a new ambulance was budgeted for $60 000. Council also plans to construct an infectious diseases hospital up to the slab level in 2025 and about $50 000 was set aside for that project.
Mutimba, however, said council was supposed to bring the draft budget to residents for scrutiny before adoption and bemoaned lack of implementation of income generating projects by council as proposed to ease the burden on the already struggling ratepayers.
“As residents we are a bit concerned with the budget adopted by council, when they came to us they did not have a draft so they came to collect views from residents and they promised to come back with a written draft so that residents will review and scrutinize their contributions if they have been captured accurately but they did not do that. When we make processes we must make sure that we fulfill them,”said Mutimba.
Masvingo City’s water supply at Bushmead Waterworks pumps about 30 megaliters of water per day which is 18 megalitres shy of the current demand pegged at 48 megaliters per day.
