Gwanda proposes $6,4m budget

GWANDA municipality has proposed a $6,4 million budget for 2017 maintaining the current budget as it seeks to improve service delivery in the mining town.

The local authority’s 2016 budget says it is targeting improving infrastructure like resurfacing of roads, erecting traffic lights and construction of a five megalitres Spitzkop water reservoir seen as a panacea to perennial water problems.

The proposal was made at a business and budget consultative meeting with businesspeople and residents in Gwanda recently.

Mr Xolani Dube, the city’s treasurer, submitted the proposed budget.

“Our intention is to maintain the budget for 2017 and also make sure that we solve the issue of water charges and the Zinwa debt. In June 2013 there was a directive by the Government to clear all debts. After we had cleared our debts we approached Zinwa asking them to comply with the Government initiative and it only cleared 40 percent of our debt,” Mr Dube said.

He said the council has a feeling that the charges by Zinwa were unjustifiable compared to other towns.

“Zinwa was using estimated figures as these were not the actual meter prices for the kilolitres that the municipality used. We as the council feel that this is an estimated figure and we will have to sit down and rectify the problem,” Mr Dube said.

The new budget comes at a time when council owes over $12 million to creditors, the bulk of it to Zinwa, which is owed $9 473157. GTC is owed $5 689 083 by residents in unpaid bills. The local authority is in financial dire straits and survives on selling land to fund day-to-day operations, a situation which is compromising service delivery. —@ richardmuponde