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City of Harare violates budget laws
Harare Residents'
Trust (HRT)
November 14, 2012
The City of
Harare has placed a notice advertising their 2013 notice Budget
instead of advertising the proposed tariffs in comparison to the
previous year's budget. Section 219 (2) (a) and ((b), (3),
as a residents body , concerned with issues of accountability by
policy makers and service providers and issues of transparent utilisation
of public resources, we are providing this information so that you
as ratepayer and a responsible citizen, are informed and take an
appropriate and informed response when dealing with the City of
Harare . From the first day that the City advertised in the Herald
on 2 November 2012, 30 days are legally required for residents and
ratepayers to visit Town House or any of the 18 District Offices
to inspect the proposed 2013 budget.
After inspecting the budget, a citizen comments or objects to the
budget in writing, addressing the concerns to the Town Clerk for
consideration before the budget is finally adopted by the Council
and subsequently being endorsed by the Minister of Local Government
Rural and Urban Development.
Based on above
legal position, today (Wednesday 14 November 2012) the HRT sought
an explanation from the City Treasury Department on why they wilfully
violated the Urban
Councils' Act on budget formulation by not putting the
tarrifs in their advertisement.
The HRT Lobby
and Advocacy Officer Ms Pretty Chabuda called the City Treasurer
Mr. Misheck Mubvumbi who got unnecessarily angry with the HRT for
acting like policemen or security people who want to know everything
concerning the Council.
For the record,
the City of Harare belong to ratepayers and other stakeholders who
are legally obliged to receive municipal services and who contribute
their monies through payment of rates and rentals. Mr Mubvumbi is
an employee of the residents of Harare and has an obligation to
provide all requested information concerning financial matters of
the City of Harare - a public entity, acting on behalf of Central
Government.
We have sought
legal opinion on these developments and we are firmly advised to
seek a court injunction to stop the City of Harare from further
undermining legislation governing the administration of local authorities
supervised, by Minister Ignatius Chombo.
The HRT expects
that the City of Harare do the honourable thing under the circumstances.
Our representatives have confirmed that the proposed 2013 City budget
is not available at all District offices for inspection by residents
and ratepayers according to the law. From the time it is made available
the HRT will begin to count 30 days required by the law to accord
residents and ratepayers an opportunity to comment / object on the
proposed tariffs and priorities of the Budget. Mr. Mubvumbi has
assured the HRT that by 1530hrs today the proposed 2013 budget copies
will be available at Town House and selected Council clinics and
District Offices which he did not specify.
It is now 12
days gone by without any sign of the budget being made available
for public inspection by the citizens, leaving the residents with
only 12 days instead of 30 days for inspection. As a citizen you
must disregard the 26th November 2012 deadline given by the City
Council to inspect the unavailable budget.
The HRT is curious
to know whether there was a Ministerial directive not to publish
the 2013 Budget tariffs, suggesting maybe the City Treasury had
indicated that they do not have enough money to buy newspaper advertising
space as the money had other priorities. It is ironic that the City
has already approved the purchase of US$ 350 000 dollars worth of
top of the range vehicles for the Town Clerk Tendai Mahachi and
the Chamber Secretary Mrs Josephine Ncube who both earn around US$18500
and US$15000 monthly salaries.
Below please
find the advertised notice by the City Of Harare on 2 November 2012
in the Herald;
Harare
City Council Tariffs 2013 Budget
- Owners rates
and supplementary charges
- Water charges
- Burial charges
- Refuse Disposal
- Rents High
Density
- Housing
Administration fees
- Public Health
fees
- Licence
and Health registration certificates
- Parking
charges
- Traffic
enforcement fees
- Ambulance
fees
- Vehicle
licence fees
- Hire of
Stadia and Halls
- Swimming
pool charges
- Other related
charges
Notice is hereby
given in terms of section 219 of the Urban Councils' Act (Chapter
29:15) that the Harare City Council proposes to review the above
mentioned with effect from 1st January, 2013.
A copy of the
proposals will be open for inspection at Town House foyer and at
all District Offices during normal working hours between 0800hrs
and 1700hrs on any working day. On Wednesday proposals open for
inspection from 0800 hours to 1600 hours
Any ratepayer
who has any objections to the tariffs can lodge his/her objection
in writing to the Town Clerk on or before close of business on 26th
November 2012
Town Clerk,
Town House, P.O BOX 990, Harare, Corner Julius Nyerere Way/ Jason
Moyo Avenue
DR.T. MAHACHI
Visit the Harare
Residents' Trust fact
sheet
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