Plumtree council impose ambulance levy on residents

PLUMTREE residents have accused the town council of forcing them to pay for an ambulance that it bought without consulting them.

Residents said council recently bought an ambulance and imposed a levy on their utility bills in order to recoup its money.

"When the council resolved to buy the ambulance, councillors had agreed that the local authority would pay on its own, but we were surprised to realise that they had included ambulance levy on our bills," said Daniel Nyathi.

Nyathi said when residents requested an ambulance service, they were made to pay $10.

"In most cases we rely on public or hired transport to rush sick people to hospital as ambulance officials usually inform us the ambulance is either not available or cannot reach our areas," he said.

"This is despite the fact that every month we pay ambulance rates."

The residents said donors had recently constructed Mapiyaza Primary School and the local authority was now making them pay rates for the construction without consulting them.

"If these projects are done by council, it is unfair for the local authority to offload its burden on residents who are struggling to get money because most of them are not employed," said a resident.

"It is sad that council does not want to listen to residents."

Plumtree Town Council secretary David Luthe could not be reached for comment.