The Sunday News
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
RESIDENTS and the business community in Lupane are livid over a 1 200 percent increase in licence fees and rates proposed by the Lupane Local Board (LLB) in its 2020 budget.
The ratepayers accused the local authority of submitting an exorbitant budget proposal to Government without consulting them. The Lupane Business Association and Lupane Residents Association said they have in the past few weeks been trying to engage LLB but to no avail as they are constantly given excuses.
Some of the proposed licence fees that have sparked furore include retail shop licence which the local authority has pegged at $2 000 up from $240, hardware licence now pegged at $5 000 up from $280, carpentry licence which is now $2 028 up from $169 and vending licence which rose from $10 to $250 per year.
The business association chairperson, Mr Permanent Sibanda, said the proposed rates were unsustainable.
“They didn’t consult us and went on to propose a budget with a 1 200 percent increase on rates which is grossly unfair. People objected but nothing was done. We believe we have to engage and find a permanent solution because Lupane has no industry and as businesses and residents we are the local authority’s cash cow,” said Mr Sibanda.
He accused the local authority of violating the Shop Licences Act and Urban Councils Act. Mr Sibanda said many businesspersons were contemplating closing shop as they will not afford the rates considering the slow business.
He said some had already been ticketed by police for not renewing their shop licences yet the budget has not been approved.
Mr Sibanda said long distance and rural buses that pass by the provincial capital were now avoiding the bus rank as they are being charged $150 up from $10 per entry.
The buses now pick and drop along the highway, avoiding the terminus thereby robbing businesses and vendors of potential business from travellers.
This is besides the disorder that now characterises the hiking spot at Down Store along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road.
The residents chair, Mr Christopher Mazibisa, concurred saying many vendors were contemplating quitting.
“This means that we are out of business. We sent objectives but they were not considered. We have requested for meetings several times and each time we get an indefinite answer hence many are not sure of their future in terms of business and capacity to pay bills and rates,” he said.
LLB secretary Mr Freedom Sibanda acknowledged ratepayers’ concerns and said the budget was subject to review based on the environment but only after its approval by Government. He disputed that the LLB was dodging the ratepayers saying both parties had been communicating through written correspondences and had failed to hold a meeting because the local authority board members were not available.
“There have been mixed feelings over the issue but the whole issue is that we budgeted when inflation was too high and our estimates were based on that environment. Few people participated which is the trend in Lupane and for purposes of understanding we have said people should pay at least for half year and then a review will be done which can be upwards or downwards depending on the environment at that time,” he said.
