Chamisa's MDC devises new ways of milking council

MDC-ALLIANCE'S Harare City council­lors are now devising new ways of milking the cash-strapped local authority to fund their party after their traditional cash cows, including land sales, have been closed.

Last year, a spate of MDC-Alliance councillors were arrested over land scams, including two successive mayors Herbert Gomba and Jacob Mafume.

This has seen the opposition now devising new ways of bleeding the council. Among the channels being used to drain Harare City Council is the current wanton bus ranking fees hike from US$10 to US$15 where councillors are seconding proxies to collect the money which will end up lining their pockets. The US$15 receipt issued is not automated, leaving room for abuse funds.

Acting Harare mayor Stewart Mutizwa yesterday said there was nothing sinister about the increases.

"The increase is actually part of the budget approved," he said.

The council is also milking ratepayers through clamping and tow away fees which were recently hiked by more than seven-fold, with a 15-seater commuter omnibus paying $4 559, up from $600, and an 18-seater $5 594 up from $700 despite the stability in the cur­rency and economy over the past months. Conventional buses and lorries are forking out $6 430, up from $800, and articulated heavy lorries $7 365 up from $900.

Parking has been a financial grey area for the city, from the days of Easipark and now its successor, City Parking, as there have been reports that some of the funds raised there do not reach council coffers.

The council also raised quarterly rank parking discs for commuter omnibuses, taxis and driving schools. Zimbabwe Passenger Transport Organi­sation chairperson Mr Samson Nhanhanga said the increase of ranking fees was unjus­tified.

"The new fees announced by the council are problematic as we never agreed on them," he said.

"No consultation was done with us as transporters. Last year our latest agreed position was US$10. "As for us, we cannot hike bus fares as passengers are still reeling from the effects of the lockdown and are hard pressed."

The hike comes as Zanu-PF spokesper­son Simon Khaya Moyo recently urged businesses to have a heart, particularly at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has seen lives being lost while livelihoods have been disrupted.

"The revolutionary Zanu-PF party is concerned by the recent spike in the cost of goods and services, particularly basic commodities," he said.

"Such a development has no grounding in basic economics. It is merely a manifestation of greed in some of our business entities.