The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) remains not satisfied with the recent decision by "council" to slash the rates by 50%. For the record, the residents collectively rejected the previous budget proposal. The proposed tariffs and rates contained in that budget were rejected on the basis that they were too exorbitant to the extent that the majority of the residents would not afford them and therefore risk being denied access to municipal services. The previous budget was also rejected on the basis that it had been formulated in a manner that did not allow the residents to participate.

Furthermore, the budget was also rejected for want of innovativeness in terms of identifying alternative and viable sources of revenue other than the ratepayers. Following the residents' rejection of the budget, the residents demanded that the councilors must formulate another budget proposal; that accommodates their proposals on the tariff structure. On that basis, CHRA remains unhappy that the "council" has resolved to revise the rates in the previous proposal instead of starting the process afresh; accommodating the views of the residents and all other stakeholders. The rates in the previous budget proposal were too exorbitant and slashing them by 50% does not make them affordable. The following are our demands;