In
its
proposed
2025
budget,
the
council
is
proposing
the
introduction
of
a
special
roads
levy
and
a
special
water
levy,
with
domestic
properties
expected
to
pay
US$1
per
month
for
each
levy,
while
commercial
properties
will
pay
US$10
per
month.
The
council
aims
to
raise
US$2.22
million
per
project
and
has
promised
that
the
funds
will
be
ring-fenced,
asking
residents
to
trust
that
the
money
will
be
used
exclusively
for
these
projects.
Speaking
during
the
meeting,
a
resident,
Junior
Sibanda
expressed
concerns
over
the
council’s
ability
to
safeguard
the
funds.
“You
are
talking
about
ring-fencing
but
the
problem
is
not
there,
in
my
analysis
what
is
missing
in
the
council
is
discipline
to
say
when
we
pay
the
money
for
road
levies,
no
one
will
put
their
hands
in
this
money.
I
am
very
sure
that
when
you
experience
a
problem
in
another
department
you
will
put
your
hands,
so
I
don’t
think
ring-fencing
will
work,”
said
Sibanda.
Another
resident,
Soneni
Moyo,
requested
more
transparency
on
the
exact
amount
the
council
requires
for
the
water
and
road
projects,
so
residents
can
better
understand
the
budget
needs.
Meanwhile,
another
attendee,
identified
as
Msaka,
urged
the
council
to
provide
clear
pricing
for
the
equipment
they
intend
to
purchase.
“As
residents,
we
want
a
straightforward
thing,
you
know
the
pipes
are
dilapidated,
you
should
tell
us
the
cost
of
those
pipes,
not
tell
us
that
you
will
see
how
much
it
will
cost,
there
is
inflation,
let
us
run
away
from
inflation,
you
have
field
guys
who
went
around
checking
preparing
for
the
budget,
you
need
to
tell
us
how
much
you
need,’
he
said.
Dennis
Dube,
another
resident,
criticised
the
council’s
use
of
gravel
on
roads,
pointing
out
that
it
is
washed
away
during
the
rainy
season,
leading
to
unnecessary
losses.
“When
the
rains
come,
it
is
washed
away,
is
that
not
a
loss,
why
can’t
you
do
something
permanent,”
Dube
asked.
In
response,
a
council
representative,
Mr
Ngwenya
refuted
claims
that
the
council
mismanages
funds
allocated
for
specific
projects.
“As
it
is
the
devolution
money
is
ring-fenced,
no
matter
how
broke
we
are,
we
don’t
take
that
money.
Even
the
money
for
stands
we
don’t
touch
it.
At
the
moment,
due
to
water
challenges
and
dilapidated
water
infrastructure,
we
want
to
resuscitate
that
infrastructure
and
we
are
going
to
do
that,”
he
said.
Ngwenya
said
the
residents
will
pay
the
special
levies
until
the
local
authority
achieves
the
projects
they
want,
“
thus
when
we
will
stop
these
road
and
water
levies.”
“Due
to
the
expense
of
the
equipment,
it
might
not
take
one
or
two
years.
I
don’t
have
the
estimated
cost
because
this
is
capital,
it
will
need
the
focus
for
five
years.
The
amount
we
can
take
provisionally
for
2025
is
US$33
million
on
water
infrastructure
only,
looking
at
our
US$1,
the
likelihood
to
collect
US$33
million
is
impossible,”
he
said.
He
added
that
the
local
authority
is
aware
of
the
prices
of
the
equipment
needed
but
their
main
focus
is
how
much
they
can
get
as
these
are
not
projects
which
can
be
fixed
within
a
year.
“They
have
been
staggered,
and
some
of
them
are
inter-related,
you
cannot
do
project
number
two
without
finishing
project
number
one,
hence
we
saw
that
if
we
ask
for
a
dollar
for
a
period
of
time,
it
wont
have
a
serious
punch
on
your
finances
looking
at
the
economic
situation.”
He
also
addressed
concerns
about
the
temporary
use
of
gravel
on
roads,
stating
it
was
a
stop-gap
measure
to
prevent
accidents
while
the
council
awaited
more
durable
materials.
“As
it
is
there
are
efforts
to
receive
it
before
the
rainy
season,”
he
said.
Chief
Fire
Officer,
Mhlangano
Moyo
also
explained
that
the
local
authority
is
also
trying
to
replace
water
meters
through
special
water
levies.
“What
we
saying
is
we
are
also
trying
to
even
change
water
meters
that
were
left
by
Smith,
even
the
pipe
from
Ncema
is
rotten,
it
bursts
continuously,
so
you
might
think
the
US$1
is
too
much
but
it
is
a
long
term
to
say
where
are
we
going.
This
money
will
focus
on
covering
different
things,’
said
Moyo.
Mathe,
from
the
council’s
Human
Capital
Department,
assured
residents
that
the
funds
would
be
used
appropriately.
“In
our
papers,
we
said
the
special
levies
for
water
will
give
us
US$2.22
million
a
year,
the
road
levies
will
also
give
us
US$2.22
million
a
year
as
well.
This
dollar
will
be
paid
for
a
year,
I
want
to
promise
that
we
will
use
this
money
well.
The
money
we
need
for
roads
and
water
is
too
much,
these
dollars
are
not
the
ones
that
will
fix,
its
just
for
assisting
so
that
when
we
approach
donors,
we
are
also
found
doing
something,
you
cannot
ask
when
you
have
nothing,’
he
said.
He
also
noted
that
the
council
requires
US$1.5
million
just
to
maintain
the
current
road
infrastructure,
stressing
that
the
levies
were
a
small
but
essential
contribution
to
the
overall
budget.