Harare City Council mulls schools levy

HARARE City Council is set to charge residents a community aided schools infrastructural development levy to be channelled towards the construction of classroom blocks on planned school sites in upcoming settlements.

The levy will be chargeable on all Harare ratepayers for a specified period of time.

According to the recent minutes of the education, health, housing and community services and licensing committee, Director of Housing and Social Development Mr Edmore Nhekairo told councillors that the funds would be ring-fenced for an agreed period of time after which they will be channelled towards construction of classroom blocks.

“He reported that with the scarcity of financial resources for most developments such as schools in the upcoming and developing settlements, council could explore avenues for mobilising financial resources for such developments,” reads the minutes.

“One such avenue could be the introduction of a levy chargeable on all Harare ratepayers for a specified period.

“Proceeds from the collected levy would be ring-fenced for an agreed period after which they would be released and channelled towards the construction of classroom blocks on planned school sites in upcoming developing settlements.”

Mr Nhekairo said development committees elected would then take the initiative to further develop the schools.

This would help to decongest existing schools.

Some members of the committee were of the view that the proposed development levy should apply to newly developed residential areas.

Following discussion, it was resolved to recommend that council approves the creation of community-aided schools infrastructure development levy.

It was also resolved that council also ring-fences the proceeds from the community-aided schools infrastructural development levy for a period of six months for a start, after which the funds will be released towards the construction of some classroom blocks on planned new sites in upcoming and developing settlements.

In 2015, Primary and Secondary School Education Minister Lazarus Dokora said Zimbabwe had a shortfall of 2 056 schools.

He said Government needed to partner with private players to address the shortfall and build new schools.