News / National
Thousands of Chitungwiza houses get free water
21 Mar 2016 at 06:49hrs | Views
More than 5 000 households in Chitungwiza are accessing water and sewer services for free as they don't appear in the council books.
Presenting oral evidence during the question and answer session at Chitungwiza chambers on Chitungwiza workers' committee representatives said council was rendering water and sewer services for free to the property owners.
By regularisation of the illegal houses, the workers' committee representatives said council could improve on service delivery.
"We appealed to council to find a way of broadening its revenue base by including in the roll, houses which were built illegally as council is rendering its services for free," said Urban and Rural Workers' Union chairman Mr Aaron Mhonyera.
Water Aligned Union of Zimbabwe chairman Mr Mwamuka Hunda added: "Council could impose a penalty of $1 000 to the residents and regularise the houses instead of exposing the owners to land barons who continue to fleece them."
The workers' representatives argued that Chitungwiza Residents Association was influencing residents not to pay their rates, leading to the decline in service delivery.
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Irene Zindi (Zanu-PF) in response said: "The houses are a potential source of revenue for the municipality, since council is already giving the owners services such as refuse removal and water connections. I understand there is a team now going after every house so that they are on the council's register.
"Land barons should be brought to book because they have made a lot of people suffer. They made people part with their hard earned cash for residential stands which are not recognised."
Presenting oral evidence during the question and answer session at Chitungwiza chambers on Chitungwiza workers' committee representatives said council was rendering water and sewer services for free to the property owners.
By regularisation of the illegal houses, the workers' committee representatives said council could improve on service delivery.
"We appealed to council to find a way of broadening its revenue base by including in the roll, houses which were built illegally as council is rendering its services for free," said Urban and Rural Workers' Union chairman Mr Aaron Mhonyera.
Water Aligned Union of Zimbabwe chairman Mr Mwamuka Hunda added: "Council could impose a penalty of $1 000 to the residents and regularise the houses instead of exposing the owners to land barons who continue to fleece them."
The workers' representatives argued that Chitungwiza Residents Association was influencing residents not to pay their rates, leading to the decline in service delivery.
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Irene Zindi (Zanu-PF) in response said: "The houses are a potential source of revenue for the municipality, since council is already giving the owners services such as refuse removal and water connections. I understand there is a team now going after every house so that they are on the council's register.
"Land barons should be brought to book because they have made a lot of people suffer. They made people part with their hard earned cash for residential stands which are not recognised."
Source - Herald
