Staff Reporter

The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works has approved Kwekwe City Council’s US$47.8 million budget for the 2025 fiscal year without any conditions.

Mayor Albert Zinhanga confirmed the approval last Friday, emphasizing that the budget is centered around the needs of ratepayers, with several tariffs reduced compared to the 2024 budget.

“Our US$47,845,938.24 budget for 2025 was approved by the Ministry of Local Government without any conditions. This year’s budget is people-centric and addresses service delivery issues raised by residents during our consultative meetings. We decreased some of the tariffs such as lightning and fire levies from US$1 to 50 cents each.

“We ended up having lower rates compared to our previous budget as we were trying to accommodate residents’ input,” said Zinhanga.

Zinhanga noted that some projects have remained in the budget for multiple years due to financial constraints.

“There are some projects that have become constants in the budget, for example, the construction of Ward 6 Clinic. It keeps appearing because of lack of funds. We are saying if everyone honors their bills, we can complete these projects,” he said.

On a positive note, he highlighted that Kwekwe achieved a 66% revenue collection rate in 2024, a significant milestone among local authorities.

“In terms of revenue collection, as of December 2024, we were at 66%. We were the first local authority since 1982 to collect more than 60% in terms of revenue, and we urge residents to keep paying,” he said.

The major highlights of the budget include the procurement of a waterworks transformer and city-wide water valve rehabilitation, among other key projects.