Opinion / Letters
Open letter to Eddie Cross
17 Jun 2016 at 09:17hrs | Views
Mr. Cross,
I read with great interest your latest article lambasting the interference on local government affairs by the minister, especially MDC-T run city councils, as he has been supposedly uncompromisingly disruptive. I read with interest as well your Wikipedia profile before I wrote this email to you. I take great interest in the mention that you were against the apartheid system of the Rhodesian government, this is in contrast to some acknowledged participants and beneficiaries of the old regime. I would be interested to read more about your activities or conversations of the time, not to be judgmental, but as a reader and a political fundi (sic).
Onto the matter at hand. I do not know how to perceive the MDC-T least after your latest installment. We have been and continue to be opponents and victims of Mugabe and Zanu and my people have suffered immensely and greatly at the hands of this man. We still suffer continual insults from both he and his wife. With the MDC-T in charge we would think that some semblance of sanity would be at hand but there is even worse rank madness among your group. Everyone is under the impression that institutions are better run in the hands of the MDCs as opposed to Zanu but I am personally having a rethink as issues are out of the control at The Bulawayo City Council; which is lauded for its 'best running' of cities in the country which happens to be a misnomer.
The BBC is taxing land owners $100.00 per acre per month as property rates, that is U$ 8 400.00 a year! It says, as a consideration, it is charging reduced rates for retirees at $50.00 per acre per month which is U$ 4 200.00 a year!! The Bulawayo City Council brazenly tells the property owners that this callous move is designed to force them parcel out their plots into smaller properties as it needs land for its growing population. THE MDC-T RUN COUNCIL IS USURPING LAND FROM THE REMAINING TRUE MIDDLE CLASS OF ZIMBABWE, LET ALONE BULAWAYO. As industries are fleeing Bulawayo and jobs are scarce, how can anyone and how many can afford, even inputs of $50.00 per acre per month, or even profits of $50.00 per acre per month? Why are those that had the wisdom to invest early being punished and face their properties being taken away. The BBC SHOULD PURCHASE THE LAND FROM THE OWNERS AND NOT TAKE IT AWAY FORCIBLY BY PASSING RESOLUTIONS THAT STEAL FROM THE PEOPLE!!!
Are the councilors permanent? As you mentioned in your article, are they taking these gross monies into their pockets or are they using this money to pay Kasukuwere's appointees?!! Why is the MDC-T not incentivizing the owners of these small holdings to enable them to be more productive and aid in the revival and food production for Bulawayo? When those who succumb and subdivide their plots, the proceeds from the sale normally is to pay off the arrears that would have accrued from the exorbitant council rates. Basically they are taking the land away for free and in the process making the residents and land owners of Bulawayo pay heavily, this is ridiculous! All this is in the advent of the land reform program, others are getting land for free but Bulawayo residents are taxed heavily by their own council on properties that they bought! Where is the sense in this? How did you convince the people of Bulawayo that you were good for them? What services out there in the country on the outskirts of the city is the council providing to charge such high rates? The residents already pay for their water and electricity; most are not connected to the sewer system and incur their own charges to pump out the stoeps every few years. So what is the reason for those high charges other than to disenfranchize and usurp property from their owners? If you are opposed to Mugabe and his method of land reform, your method of land reform based on your need in Bulawayo is egregious.
I am beginning to wonder if Saviour is wrong by harassing the MDC-T run councils, are these the things that you are hiding? How on earth can anyone in Zimbabwe afford that right now? Not even in Zimbabwe but anywhere in the world those are by far some of the highest taxes ever for such a small and feeble economy, especially to a demographic that relies on subsistence from those small holdings. Even those of us in the diaspora, ay WAY less in property taxes. My parents each earn $50.00 a month, so they can only afford to pay for two acres of their 7-acre plot of which they have nothing left, not even for inputs. They farm corn for mealie-meal for the family and raise chickens and fruits. We still have to supplement them from the diaspora as there is not enough income for their needs. Even from the diaspora, we cannot afford to help them as it is too expensive even for us over here.
With this experience personally, I would like to look further into why the councils are resisting his oversight. This is very, very poor running of the council, I would not encourage anyone to vote for the MDC-T with this tremendous taxation. You guys are robbing mainly old retired people who bought these plots a long time ago with their retirement money. They should benefit from their investments, the city council should purchase the land from them if it needs land and PAY FOR IT. It can pass local laws to forcibly purchase the land but not heavily tax citizens in this manner. Why is your party robbing our parents of their investments? Bulawayo residents are suffering enough! This flies in the face of what you supposedly stand for.
Disappointed, Hurt, Shocked, Violated.
Mkhululi Ndabambi
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
I read with great interest your latest article lambasting the interference on local government affairs by the minister, especially MDC-T run city councils, as he has been supposedly uncompromisingly disruptive. I read with interest as well your Wikipedia profile before I wrote this email to you. I take great interest in the mention that you were against the apartheid system of the Rhodesian government, this is in contrast to some acknowledged participants and beneficiaries of the old regime. I would be interested to read more about your activities or conversations of the time, not to be judgmental, but as a reader and a political fundi (sic).
Onto the matter at hand. I do not know how to perceive the MDC-T least after your latest installment. We have been and continue to be opponents and victims of Mugabe and Zanu and my people have suffered immensely and greatly at the hands of this man. We still suffer continual insults from both he and his wife. With the MDC-T in charge we would think that some semblance of sanity would be at hand but there is even worse rank madness among your group. Everyone is under the impression that institutions are better run in the hands of the MDCs as opposed to Zanu but I am personally having a rethink as issues are out of the control at The Bulawayo City Council; which is lauded for its 'best running' of cities in the country which happens to be a misnomer.
The BBC is taxing land owners $100.00 per acre per month as property rates, that is U$ 8 400.00 a year! It says, as a consideration, it is charging reduced rates for retirees at $50.00 per acre per month which is U$ 4 200.00 a year!! The Bulawayo City Council brazenly tells the property owners that this callous move is designed to force them parcel out their plots into smaller properties as it needs land for its growing population. THE MDC-T RUN COUNCIL IS USURPING LAND FROM THE REMAINING TRUE MIDDLE CLASS OF ZIMBABWE, LET ALONE BULAWAYO. As industries are fleeing Bulawayo and jobs are scarce, how can anyone and how many can afford, even inputs of $50.00 per acre per month, or even profits of $50.00 per acre per month? Why are those that had the wisdom to invest early being punished and face their properties being taken away. The BBC SHOULD PURCHASE THE LAND FROM THE OWNERS AND NOT TAKE IT AWAY FORCIBLY BY PASSING RESOLUTIONS THAT STEAL FROM THE PEOPLE!!!
Are the councilors permanent? As you mentioned in your article, are they taking these gross monies into their pockets or are they using this money to pay Kasukuwere's appointees?!! Why is the MDC-T not incentivizing the owners of these small holdings to enable them to be more productive and aid in the revival and food production for Bulawayo? When those who succumb and subdivide their plots, the proceeds from the sale normally is to pay off the arrears that would have accrued from the exorbitant council rates. Basically they are taking the land away for free and in the process making the residents and land owners of Bulawayo pay heavily, this is ridiculous! All this is in the advent of the land reform program, others are getting land for free but Bulawayo residents are taxed heavily by their own council on properties that they bought! Where is the sense in this? How did you convince the people of Bulawayo that you were good for them? What services out there in the country on the outskirts of the city is the council providing to charge such high rates? The residents already pay for their water and electricity; most are not connected to the sewer system and incur their own charges to pump out the stoeps every few years. So what is the reason for those high charges other than to disenfranchize and usurp property from their owners? If you are opposed to Mugabe and his method of land reform, your method of land reform based on your need in Bulawayo is egregious.
I am beginning to wonder if Saviour is wrong by harassing the MDC-T run councils, are these the things that you are hiding? How on earth can anyone in Zimbabwe afford that right now? Not even in Zimbabwe but anywhere in the world those are by far some of the highest taxes ever for such a small and feeble economy, especially to a demographic that relies on subsistence from those small holdings. Even those of us in the diaspora, ay WAY less in property taxes. My parents each earn $50.00 a month, so they can only afford to pay for two acres of their 7-acre plot of which they have nothing left, not even for inputs. They farm corn for mealie-meal for the family and raise chickens and fruits. We still have to supplement them from the diaspora as there is not enough income for their needs. Even from the diaspora, we cannot afford to help them as it is too expensive even for us over here.
With this experience personally, I would like to look further into why the councils are resisting his oversight. This is very, very poor running of the council, I would not encourage anyone to vote for the MDC-T with this tremendous taxation. You guys are robbing mainly old retired people who bought these plots a long time ago with their retirement money. They should benefit from their investments, the city council should purchase the land from them if it needs land and PAY FOR IT. It can pass local laws to forcibly purchase the land but not heavily tax citizens in this manner. Why is your party robbing our parents of their investments? Bulawayo residents are suffering enough! This flies in the face of what you supposedly stand for.
Disappointed, Hurt, Shocked, Violated.
Mkhululi Ndabambi
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Source - Mkhululi Ndabambi
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