By Staff writer
GWERU-Residents of Claremont Park in (Ward 8) have cried foul over being forced to pay rates to both Gweru City Council(GCC) and Vungu Rural District Council, as the protracted boundary and tariff dispute between the two local authorities continues unresolved.
The matter spilled into Parliament last week, with Mkoba south legislator John Kuka demanding clarity from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
Kuka quizzed the ministry on steps being taken to end the dispute, which is financially crippling the residents by billing them twice.
“Claremont residents are paying double but getting nothing in return. It is unfair and unsustainable,”Kuka told the National Assembly.
He added that the dispute has dragged for years and this was shortchanging the residents as they are not getting value for their money.
Residents have endured poor service delivery such as erratic water supply, poor roads and uncollected refuse.
Responding, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Albert Mavunga, conceded that the dispute had disrupted service delivery but insisted that the councils were working towards alignment.
“The service delivery needs of residents of the Woodlands area under Vungu RDC and adjacent urban neighbourhoods under the City of Gweru are currently being addressed.
“Both local authorities have been preparing master plans, and the areas of overlap are compatible,” said Mavunga.
He said the master plan process would pave the way for “harmonized development” to end double billing and ensure coherent service provision.
But residents told The Echo News that they have endured years of confusion, poor refuse collection, and deteriorating road infrastructure while being squeezed for tariffs.
“We are being milked by both councils yet our roads are impassable and water is scarce. It feels like we are paying for nothing,” said Talent Moyo from Claremont Park.
Another resident, who preferred anonymity, added: “When we go to Gweru City Council, they say we belong to Vungu. At the RDC, they tell us to approach GCC. We are in no man’s land.”
The impasse has festered for years, with no clear resolution, raising fears that the community could sink deeper into neglect if the master plan exercise is delayed further.
Gweru City Council had been collecting rates in the area before Vungu RDC wrote a letter to its sister council, advising it to focus only on collecting water and refuse revenue.
