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Victoria Falls ratepayers reject council’s proposed 70 percent tariff hike

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BY AWAKHIWE KHUMALO

Victoria Falls ratepayers have rejected the city council’s proposed 2023 budget that will see tariffs going up by 70 percent in United States dollars if it is approved.

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Ratepayers made their position known during a budget consultative meeting attended mainly by the business community in the city on Friday.

They urged council to take into consideration the fact that the city, which is heavily reliant on the tourism industry, was still trying to recover from the prolonged Covid-19 lockdowns between 2020 and last year.

If the budget is approved, 50 cubic litres of water in high density suburbs will be charged at US$1.07 while in medium density it will cost US1.13 and US$1.35 for low density areas.

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Expecting mothers, who are not booked at the council clinics will be required to pay US$40 for services while those with prior books will part with US$14 in what would be a 100 percent increase.

Cemetery fees for adults will be increased from US$8 to US$15 while search fees will go up from US$ 175 to US$250.

Council defended the proposed tariff increases, saying they were mainly driven by the local authority’s failure to recover $500 million it is owed by residents.

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Residents, however, implored the city fathers to be sensitive because most residents were struggling to make ends meet and will not afford the proposed tariffs.

“It’s not the council’s fault that residents are not paying the bills,” said a resident.

“The economic situation is not conducive.

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“Council will argue that it has to increase the tariffs and burden the people who are able to pay to cover those people who are genuinely vulnerable and that’s pure inequality.”

Another resident added: “Judging from the salaries that most residents are getting, it is going to be difficult.

“So I propose that we put a budget that will be reasonable for these families,who have children to look after.”

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The ratepayers were unanimous that a 12.5 percent tariff increase will be reasonable for the city.

The proposed budget will be formally tabled before at the council chambers on Monday.

Other residents expressed displeasure over council’s move to continue to bill them for services it was no longer rendering.

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“Why are we paying for services that are not being provided?” one resident queried.

“There are areas that do not have street lights and sewer reticulation, but the residents there are paying for those things.

“We should not pay for services that are not being rendered to us.”

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National

Ranger killed by elephant in Kariba

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

A 62-year-old ranger, Josphat Mandishara, was tragically killed by an elephant in Kariba yesterday.

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Mandishara, who worked for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), was on patrol in the Gatche-gatche area with fellow rangers and police officers.

At around 10 pm, Mandishara returned to the harbor where their boat was docked, and that’s when he encountered the elephant. The elephant charged at him, causing fatal injuries. His colleagues were nearby, resupplying at the Gatche-gatche Irrigation Scheme.

Mandishara’s body was taken to Kariba District Hospital for a post-mortem, and the incident was reported to the police.

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ZimParks has sent a team to manage the problem elephant and prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Director General of ZimParks, Prof. Edson Gandiwa, and his team have sent condolences to Mandishara’s family, friends, and colleagues. Mandishara will be remembered for his dedication to wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe.

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ZIMRA customs officer appears in court for criminal abuse of office

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BY STAFF REPORTER 

A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) customs officer, Phillip Kuvenga, has been accused of criminal abuse of office for allegedly assisting in the importation of banned motor vehicles.

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Kuvenga, 28, who is stationed at Victoria Falls, allegedly received documents from clients, completed valuation sheets, and carried out the valuation process. However, he is accused of endorsing different chassis numbers to deceive his supervisors during the validation and approval process.

After obtaining approval, Kuvenga would capture the correct chassis numbers in the ASYCUDA World System. He would then alter or replace the documents submitted earlier to his supervisors.

The offense came to light when a motor vehicle that had not yet arrived in Zimbabwe was found to have been already registered. A thorough check by ZIMRA led to Kuvenga’s arrest.

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Kuvenga appeared in court on February 1, where he was denied bail by Magistrate Gift Manyka. He is expected to appear in court again today for another bail hearing.

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Retailers send Mnangagwa SOS as shops continue shutting down over operational woes

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BY ZIMLIVE

The Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) has implored President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene and save the sector which has seen various formal retail and wholesale businesses closing shop countrywide due to operational challenges.

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In a statement on Sunday, CZR president Denford Mutashu said the continued closure of formal retail and wholesale businesses is a direct consequence of the tough economic environment that has consistently failed to support formalised sector players who face stiff competition from informal businesses and vendors the majority of whom have no tax obligations to deal with.

Mutashu said his association was concerned that authorities continue to downplay the crisis.

“The recent closure of several outlets under the N. Richards Group, coupled with Spar Zimbabwe’s painful decision to shut down Queensdale Spar, Choppies Zimbabwe’s exit from the market, and Mahommed Mussa’s significant reduction of shop space by 60%, highlights the growing crisis.

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“As the representative association for these and other brands, CZR is alarmed that while formal businesses face enormous challenges, the authorities continue to present a different picture of the operating environment,” he said.

Given the situation, Mutashu said, only President Mnangagwa can rescue the troubled sector.

“CZR therefore calls for urgent intervention from His Excellency, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, to rescue what remains of the formalized retail and wholesale sector,” said Mutashu.

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He said the sector was in urgent need of rescue.

“While CZR acknowledges the continued support from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, it is clear that the root causes of these challenges are fiscal and monetary in nature. These require urgent and decisive action to ensure the survival of formal businesses.

“CZR therefore appeals to the Presidium to prioritize interventions aimed at saving jobs and mitigating the ongoing wave of shop closures and retrenchments,” he said.

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