Harare proposes 300% increase in service charges

Published: 12 July 2019

Harare City Council yesterday presented a ZW$483 million supplementary budget which will see a 300% rise in charges for water, refuse collection, clamping fees, tow-away and burial space, among other services.

The city's new proposed total budget for this year would be ZW$829,86 million up from the initial budget of ZW$346,59 million tabled in November 2018.

The supplementary budget tabled by finance committee chairperson, Councillor Luckson Mukunguma, at a special council meeting, proposed that high-density residential areas be charged ZW$2,80 for 1-10 cubic meters up from ZW$0,83; ZW$3,13 for 11-20 cubic meters up from ZW$0,93; and ZW$4,20 from ZW$1,20 for anything above 20 cubic meters.

For those on prepaid, council has proposed to hike the charges from ZW$1,20 for high-density areas to ZW$3,50 and ZW$1,50 to ZW$4 for low density areas.

"The current supplementary budget should not be viewed as an attempt by council to increase tariffs; it is rather an attempt to align to the new economic order given full implementation of the Transitional Stabilisation Programme and the introduction of the local currency as the only legal tender in Zimbabwe,"
Mukunguma said .

The supplementary budget proposes to increase tow-away fees from ZW$60 to ZW$700 and clamping fees from ZW$40 to ZW$500. Ambulance fees will also be increased from ZW$20 to ZW$50, while those who want get land in the capital have to dig deep into their pockets.

Council has also proposed to increase refuse collection from ZW$6,50 per week to ZW$19,50 per week for those in high-density areas and ZW$428,50 from ZW$9,5 per week for those in low density areas.

For one to get on the housing waiting list, the supplementary budget has proposed to increase the fee from ZW$60 to ZW$150 for six months and to be interviewed for stand allocation, council has also introduced a fee.

For those who want to be interviewed for land, they have to pay ZW$200 and an extra administration fee of ZW$2 000 for those seeking to stay in medium density areas and ZW$3 000 for those who want to stay in low density areas.

According to the supplementary budget, a resident in high-density areas such as Glen Norah, Glen View and Mbare should expect a monthly bill of no less than ZW$44 without water charges and those in suburbs such as Mabelreign should expect a monthly service of no less than ZW$77 without water charges.

Council has also introduced a fee for companies that want to dig trenches in the city centre and it has been proposed that an application fee of ZW$10 000 be charged and the trenching permit would be pegged at ZW$200 000.

"ZW$50 000 per 30m or part length thereof in low density area roads and ZW$30 000 per 30m or part length thereof in high density area roads," the proposed budget statement read.

The budget also suggested that for those who dig trenches without council approval will have to pay a penalty of ZW$100 000 for every 30 metres.
- newsday