Melinda Kusemachibi
The delay in the approval of Masvingo City Council proposed 2022 budget is potentially affecting service delivery since council is struggling financially to finish 2021 projects, residents have noted.
Various intended expenditures were tabled alongside proposals of how to meet such expected costs in respective areas of interest.
Masvingo City Council Mayor Cllr Collen Maboke said the budget that is yet to be approved is affecting service delivery in the city.
“The budget is yet to be approved and it is affecting us in terms of service delivery since council does not have adequate money to finish 2021 projects,” said Cllr Maboke.
Masvingo Service Delivery Residents and Ratepayers Association (MASDRRA) Secretary General Moses Mavhusa said residents are not being given fair treatment in terms of service delivery.
“Masvingo City Council confirmed last week that they send a delegation to the Ministry of Local Governance in Harare including some councilors to deliberate on the budget.
“MASDRRA is appealing to the responsible authorities to expedite the budget processes so as to enhance quality service delivery. The residents are being shortchanged as regards to expected service delivery standards by council which is passing the blame to the said responsible ministry’s bureaucratic processes,” said Mavhusa.
Two major issues popped up in the budget that is the recurrence of Mucheke Trunk Sewer and the ZW$ 160 million allocated for capital expenditure( furniture and equipment) being the major highlights of the proposed budget that has irked residents.
While ZW$ 15 million has been set for the purchase of 1000 water meters, council decided to shelve ZW$ 160 million for unspecified furniture.
Masvingo Residents and Ratepayers Association (MURRA) spokesperson Godfrey Mtimba said the budget approved or not, that does not affect service delivery since council is using the rates which were paid last year.
“It is not yet affecting service delivery because we are using the rates that we paid last year and to us as residents, that money is ok and city council can afford to provide services efficiently because there has not been any inflation in the country that the money cannot sustain service delivery,” said Mtimba.
He went on to say, it is too early for residents to complain about delayed approval of the budget.
“Traditionally, the budget has always been approved in January so we cannot blame the Ministry for being late. I think it is too early for us residents to start complaining now. For now we cannot say it has affected service delivery we are already half through and we are expecting the ministry to approve all budgets in January or February and residents will start to pay new rates and service delivery will flow in a normal way,” said Mtimba.
Rujeko high-density suburb is reportedly having 26 percent of its water meters being mal-functional but council has decided to set aside the project.
Ward 5 residents in Majange suburb of Masvingo raised concern over the inclusion of the Mucheke trunk sewer project that they feel should have been completed long back after it started nine years ago but later abandoned just two years into the construction in 2014.
