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Kuwadzana
and Highfields residents meet their Councilors
Combined Harare
Residents Association (CHRA)
March 02, 2009
The Kuwadzana
and Highfields residents did not mince their words regarding the
current rates and utility charges vis a vis service delivery: Refuse
is piling up, water and sewer management is appalling, health delivery
is more than poor, street lighting is a thing of the past, state
of roads is the worst ever among the many other problems they are
facing. As if these and the other problems are not enough; the residents
are made to pay exorbitant forex rates in the midst of the current
economic malaise which has vicariously impoverished them. The CHRA
'Meet your councilor' public meetings in these areas
did not produce resolutions any different from the previous ones.
The residents
who attended the two public meetings reiterated the Harare residents'
demands which are;
- Freezing
of the current payments
- Consultation
over budget before approval
- Affordable
rates which reflect the socio-economic strata
- Improved
and effective service delivery
- Accountability
and transparency in council operations
In the current
rate tariff regime, residents in high density suburbs of Harare
have to part with US$10-00 (ten dollars) for electricity, flat fee
gazetted by the Zimbabwean Government, approximately US$5-00(five
dollars) for water, either US$22-00 to US25-00 or US$11-00 (eleven
dollars) to US$12-50 (twelve dollars fifty cents) for rentals and
supplementary charges to the City council. These charges depend
on whether there is immediate and sincere implementation of the
Minister of Local Government, Urban and Rural Development, Dr I.
Chombo's call to the Local Authorities to charge half of what
they are demanding until the (local) budgets are approved. The total
bill amounts to between US$26-00 and US$ 40-00 (US forty dollars)
while most residents earn far below that amount per month and these
are just a part of their supposed monthly expenditure.
CHRA remains
committed to advocating for transparent, effective, affordable and
professional municipal service delivery. The Association will continue
to proffer the residents the necessary platform for residents to
engage with the city's policy formulators and other stakeholders.
Visit the CHRA
fact
sheet
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