The ManicaPost
Lovemore Kadzura
Rusape Correspondent
UNDER fire Rusape Town Council was last week forced to give in to residents’ demands and reduce the 2021 rates.
The council reduced assessment, cemetery and council buildings’ hiring rates as well as supplementary charges.
It also relaxed some conditions for the approval of building plans.
Council chairman, Councillor Lyton Sithole, said the rest of the charges will remain as they are as they are in tandem with the prevailing economic environment.
He added that council also resolved to offer a 30 percent discount for those paying in hard currency.
“Following the public outcry by ratepayers, we held a special full council meeting to analyse the concerns being raised. We resolved to reduce some of the rates to levels that residents can afford, but will leave us operating viably.
“We reduced assessment rates which are charged to medium and low density residential areas by 39 percent. This is only applicable if payment is done before June 30, 2021.
“Supplementary charges were reduced by 50 percent. Cemetery charges for children and adults were reduced by 19 percent and 26 percent respectively. Hiring of the Makoni Country Club for church purposes has been reduced by 43 percent.
“In the past, council used to demand 100 percent payment of arrears for residents to get their buildings under construction inspected council, but we have relaxed that to at least 40 percent. This is an incentive to encourage residents to speedily complete the construction of their properties,” he said.
The council has also resolved to offer a 30 percent discount on all payments that are made in US dollars.
“Residents who have queries on their statements are free to approach our offices for rectification. Residents have ignored calls to boycott paying rates and the numbers of those paying have actually picked up ever since the lockdown was relaxed,” said Mr Sithole.
However, Rusape Concerned Residents Trust executive member, Mr Philip Mavhuna said RTC must address issues of estimate bills and street lighting, a non-existent service that is charged.
“While we acknowledge that some of the rates were reduced as per our demands, we are still pursuing issues of estimate bills and public lighting.
‘‘Some of the water bills are just ridiculous. Council must rectify such glaring errors which contribute to residents’ loss of confidence in their services,” said Mr Mavhuna.
