MOSES MADYIRA
CHIKOMBA—Chivhu residents have red flagged Chikomba Rural District Council (RDC) 2024 budget proposal for not following the correct procedure during its formulation.
Chikomba RDC put forward a staggering US$9 million budget proposal for 2024 during a full council meeting that was held early this month. The council’s 2023 budget was ZWL$7.2 billion which had an 87% performance.
In an interview with The Midweek Watch, Chivhu Residents and Ratepayers Alliance Secretary General David Marufu blasted the local authority for failing to stick to rules and regulation in formulating the budget by resorting to dirty tricks to counter residents from objecting the budget.
“The local authority did not do the budget properly and diligently. They advertised and sought objections way before the budget consultations. Logically, how can you object something which is work in progress? Thereafter, the leadership celebrated that there was no objection.
“Residents and councilors were not given detailed information on the budget but only tariffs and rates without programs and projects. The residents and ratepayers are now at the mercy of the administration when it comes to effectiveness of service delivery. We are in the dark, we can’t talk of the budget,” said Marufu.
Council Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bullen Chiwara outlined some major projects that the local authority will be looking to execute in the 2024 financial year like construction of clinics, schools, servicing of commercial and residential stands, among others. He also said this year’s budget had no objections.
“Of the total amount we have proposed, we will aim to improve our service delivery and to execute some projects like construction of schools, servicing of commercial and residential stands and water reticulation at Sadza and Masasa growth points. We are proud that the budget has no objections,” said Chiwara.
The local authority elbowed residents away from objecting the budget as the administration advertised and sought objections way before even consultations had commenced which means residents could not object something they knew nothing about.
In formulating the budget, the local authority ambushed residents when the administration advertised and sought objections way before the budget consultations.
The local authority also did not avail a detailed budget to residents and councilors as per the norm as they only dished out mere handouts with only tariffs and the rates without programs and projects. Logically, residents felt they were shielded from making contributions through objections since they have been left in dark said CHRRA.
Chikomba RDC is slowly becoming a haven of illegality as recently, they were taken to court by disgruntled opposition councilors over illegal formulation of committees and the CCC Ward 12 councilor, Ishmael Maukazuva was barred from reading the RDC Act to show the procedure that should have been followed when formulating committees.
Maukazuva was later ejected from the meeting by Chikomba DDC Michael Mariga who later bragged that he was a Zanu Pf member.
