By Fanuel Chinowaita
MUTARE — Residents have urged the City of Mutare to account for devolution funds and address illegal mining activities instead of overburdening ratepayers with tariff increases.
Speaking during a consultative meeting organised by the Mutare Residents and Ratepayers Association (MURA) and the City Council on Wednesday, residents expressed concern over the proposed 14.2 percent tariff adjustment for 2026, arguing that council should first fix management and accountability gaps.
The proposed increase, which aligns with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s inflation rate for August 2025, is meant to cushion the local authority against rising operational costs.
However, residents said the city should focus on recovering unreleased devolution funds and protecting key infrastructure from vandalism and illegal mining instead.
“Council must do something to follow up on the devolution funds because residents cannot continue to pay for things that can be avoided,” said one participant.
The residents also raised alarm over illegal gold mining along Nyakaunga River and Christmas Pass Mountain, warning that continued activities could lead to environmental disaster.
“We are afraid that one day Mutare will fall into a mining pit if these illegal activities continue unchecked,” said another resident.
Council official, Acting Finance Director Mr Ronald Guni, however maintained that the tariff review is necessary to sustain service delivery in light of rising costs of water treatment chemicals, fuel, and maintenance, which have gone up by as much as 67 percent this year.
The meeting ended with calls for stronger collaboration between the city, residents, and relevant ministries to ensure accountability, curb illegal mining, and secure the future of Mutare’s infrastructure and environment.
