Zimpapers Logo

Nonsikelelo Moyo, Chronicle Reporter
VICTORIA Falls residents have blasted the council for billing them for services they said they are not enjoying.

The municipality invited residents for a budget consultation meeting on Wednesday at the council chambers to deliberate on the proposed 2018 budget.

Residents who attended the meeting said they felt short-changed for paying for services which council was not providing.

“I don’t understand why most residents are being charged for sewer connections yet they are not connected to the sewer,” said one of the residents.

In response, the town engineer, Ms Sherinah Sibanda told the resident that it was an oversight, which should be rectified.

“That is a genuine mistake, please come through to our offices so that we can sort that out. We tend to assume that you are connected as you will be staying in areas that are connected to the sewer,” said Ms Sibanda.

The residents said they have been paying for street lights yet most areas in the town do not have street lights.

Ms Sibanda told residents that their contributions towards street lights are being channelled to the maintenance of the existing lights.

“The council is in the process of acquiring solar street lights and so far we have managed to get three of them and you might have noticed that they have been installed in three different places. We also use the money you are paying for maintenance of the lights that we have,” said Ms Sibanda.

Councillor Robson Salimu of Ward 8, said the education levy residents were paying was meant to assist all Government schools in the town but at the moment only Mosi-oa-Tunya High school was benefiting.

He said the high school was now offering science subjects as a result of the levy residents were paying.

“In future, we can even consider building another school through this education levy,” said Clr Salimu.

Another meeting has been scheduled for Monday next week.—@nonsy_m