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The proposed Harare Supplementary Budget is out
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
June 25, 2007

The City of Harare has released its Proposed Supplementary Budget for the period 1 July to 31 December. It was advertised in the newspaper on 8 and 15 June 2007. The budget is set to become effective from 1 July while objections can still be lodged with the City of Harare until 8 July, making a mockery of the whole process.

The proposed charges in the budget are ridiculous taking into consideration the fact that service delivery in Harare has gone from bad to worse. There is no guarantee that services will improve in spite of the exorbitant charges that have been proposed.

Charges that have shocked residents include cemetery, parking, hall hiring, waster management, health, recreation and towing of vehicles.

Health Charges

Despite the fact that municipal clinics are short-staffed and under-equipped in terms of medicinal drugs and machinery, health charges have increased by more than 400%.

Adults will now pay $20 000 consultation fees at municipal clinics and $100 000 at hospitals. Consultation fees for children are up from $2100 to $10 000 and $18800 to $50 000 at clinics and hospitals respectively. Maternity bookings will attract a staggering $200 000 from the previous $63 300.

Lodge Your Objections!

The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) urges all residents of Harare to object to the Proposed Supplementary Budget. We should object to the budget because:

• The first advertisement came out in the Herald on 8 June. According to the provisions of the Urban Councils' Act (Chapter 29:15), residents should have 30 days to lodge their objections to the budget before it can be effected. Eight days had already passed by the time of the advert. The new charges will be effective from the 1 July.
• Residents lodged their objections to the Harare 2007 budget in January but the illegal Commission connived with the Minister for Local Government and went ahead to approve the budget. The City of Harare cannot derive a supplementary budget from the one that was rejected. Residents should still maintain their position of rejecting the budget.
• Service Delivery in Harare has almost collapsed but the City of Harare has constantly hiked rates for its services. Condition of public halls has deteriorated to alarming levels. Most Harare suburbs are littered with piles of uncollected refuse. Residents cannot pay for non-existent services.
• The High Court on 2 March declared illegal the Commission running the affairs of Harare saying it had no mandate to act on behalf of the City of Harare.

Recreation

The City of Harare has proposed that the hire for weddings at public halls in high-density areas be increased from $75000 to $2 million. Water and electricity charges are excluded from this amount. Hire for church services will attract a charge of $240 000 while social service groups will pay $500 000. These charges do not include VAT.

Parking charges, towing and clamping

Hourly parking prepaid discs will cost $2 500 up from $600 while 18 passenger commuter omnibuses will pay an annual parking fee of $150 000. Towing fees for light-motor vehicles remains at $400 000 while clamping fees will increase from $100 000 to $150 000.

Cemetery Charges

DYING in Harare has gone beyond the reach of the majority after the City of Harare raised the fees to $150 000 for adults at the Granville Cemetery up from $30 000 in the 'B' Section while children will pay $75 000 up from $15 000.

This translates to an increase of 500% percent for adults and 300% for children.

In Area A charges have been raised from $100 000 to $700 000 and from $50 000 to $350 000 for adults and children respectively.

Grave space in Warren Hills, Greendale and Pioneer cemeteries is now worth $5 million, up from $300 000 and $3 million, from $150 000, a cumulative increase of about 1 667% and 2 000% for adults and children respectively.
Waste Management

Refuse collection charges have skyrocketed to $60 000 a month and $120 000 a month for high and low-density areas respectively. Previous these services were pegged at $ 3 063 in high-density while those in the low density paid $3 675.

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