 |
| Masvingo is conducting 2020 budget review meeting in all wards |
Colleen Chitsa
MASVINGO – Residents of Masvingo Urban Ward 6 have complained about
poor service delivery in their area, saying council was not doing enough to fulfill
its mandate.
People who attended the budget
review consultative meeting held at council’s Building Brigade warehouses near
Majange shopping centre said they were dissatisfied with council services.
They lamented the deterioration
of the roads which they said were poorly maintained and heavily potholed.
“They will soon be worse because
the rains are coming. We think council must put more money towards road maintenance
because you can no longer drive on some of the roads,” said one senior
resident.
Other residents also said they
were disappointed that council was failing to adhere to its own refuse
collection schedules.
“We sometimes spend over a week
with our bins not collected. It would be good if council gives us a new refuse
collection timetable which they can implement in full,” said a resident.
The issue of burst sewer pipes
also took centre stage, with many residents saying council took long to respond
to reports, leading to many sewerage pools on the streets.
“We notify council as soon as we detect bursts
but the response rate is very low. As a result, we are surrounded by many burst
sewerage pipes that pose a danger to our health,” said a resident.
In response, Mayor Collen Maboke,
who led the council representatives at the meeting, promised that council will
look into all the issues raised.
“We have taken note of all the
complaints raised and we are going to sit down, look into it and take
appropriate measures to deal with these complaints,” Maboke said.
Masvingo City Council has been
facing increased difficulties in meeting its service delivery obligations since
the beginning of the coronavirus-induced national lockdown which has seen a
decline in revenue collection.
A budget review document released
by council shows that the local authority is owed ZWL$131.2 million by
residents and ratepayers.
