By Fanuel Chinowaita
MUTARE – The Mutare City Council has moved to quell the public uproar over its cemetery access charges, with the Deputy Director of Housing and Community Services, Noel Mushangwe, issuing an unequivocal policy clarification during the 1336th Ordinary Full Council meeting.
The statement marks a significant reversal of a widely misunderstood 2026 budget provision that had been condemned by Mayor Simon Chabuka, several councillors and angry residents as an unjust $7 “flower tax” on grieving families.
Mr Mushangwe laid out the council’s official position in a detailed report titled Status and Clarification of Grave Maintenance Fees, explaining that the tariff in question is a long-standing “Grave Maintenance Fee” which predates the current budget and is not intended for simple acts of mourning.
“No fee is supposed to be paid to see a grave or place flowers,” Mr Mushangwe stated. “If a person wants to go and see the grave, they only need to inform the officer on the ground. There is absolutely no charge for that.”
The Deputy Director revealed that the fee, currently pegged at US$6.30 plus USD$1 vat for the 2026 financial year, has been part of the council’s tariff framework since well before 2017. It was not introduced in the 2026 budget, as previously suggested, but was merely adjusted for inflation from US$5.00 in 2023.
According to the policy clarification document, the Grave Maintenance Fee applies solely to individuals wanting to carry out specific physical works on graves, including structural repairs, renovations, or private landscaping. It is designed as a service-based tariff to help recover the costs of ongoing cemetery upkeep that the city provides, such as grass cutting, path clearance, debris removal, and general preservation of the sites’ dignity and security.
“The fee is not charged for simple acts of mourning such as placing flowers on graves,” Mr Mushangwe emphasised. “It is rooted in Council’s policy commitment to ensuring that the final resting places of our residents are managed with dignity, order, and respect.”
He added that the revenue also helps the council maintain a formal record of access to cemeteries, improving security and preventing unauthorized disturbances.
The gradual adjustment of the Grave Maintenance Fee over the past four years was tabled as follows: US$5.00 in 2023, US$5.05 in 2024, US$5.52 in 2025, and US$6.30 in 2026.
The clarification effectively resolves an explosive debate that erupted during the previous 1335th meeting, where Director of Housing Emma Mandiziba had linked the fee to preventing ritual activities in graveyards, leading to Mayor Chabuka questioning the city’s social responsibility.
The Mayor had also ordered the immediate clearing of all graveyards citywide, a directive that remains in force and is partly funded by the maintenance fees collected.
With the air now cleared, councillors and residents alike are expected to welcome the assurance that no one will be barred from honouring their loved ones with flowers—provided they first touch base with the ground officer—while those undertaking heavy maintenance will continue to pay the inflation-adjusted levy.