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Midlands Bureau
REDCLIFF Municipality has unveiled a $9,9 million 2019 budget that is set to tackle perennial water supply challenges since the closure of Ziscosteel in 2008.

The budget, based on internal revenue collection, is $1,9 million up from last year’s budget of $8 million.

Redcliff Mayor, Councillor Clayton Masiyatsva said the increase was a result of economic challenges facing the country.

“We had to review upwards to match with the current economic trends that have seen prices of most commodities go up. But I should hasten to say most of our tariffs remain unchanged save for licences,” he said.

“We have raised our licences fees for tuck-shop owners, heavy and light industry by almost 50 percent. We have also raised our spot fines for illegal vending, building illegal structures, dumping of waste and clamping of vehicles for illegal parking by 50 percent.”

The Mayor also said they have set aside $270 000 for the purchase of a fire tender.

“We intend to purchase a fire tender and in consultation with the residents, they have agreed to part with $20 per household for two months towards the fund. Corporates will also pay $300 while SMEs will pay $30 per month. This is because we discovered that the money for repairing the available fire tender, which is down, is almost equivalent to buying a new one,” said Clr Masiyatsva.

He said many projects were lined up for development in partnership with private players.

“We all know that our water treatment project has been neglected for a while now. We will engage private players in a PPP arrangement so that we can be able to supply our own water other than relying on Kwekwe City Council,” he said.

Projects to be done with private players include the prepaid water meter, upgrading of water and sewer lines as well as development of housing stands.

“We have about 800 stands that we intend to develop sometime in January or February and we have to engage private developers and by so doing, the budget will be increasing,” said the Mayor.