City of Harare Face Backlash Over New Service Levies
By Loyd Matare
Harare residents’ hard-earned incomes are under siege yet again as the City of Harare introduces three controversial levies targeting water infrastructure, street lighting, and ambulance services.
The move has drawn sharp criticism from leading advocacy groups, who accuse the local authority of fiscal recklessness and unfairly burdening citizens already grappling with one of Africa’s highest tax regimes.
The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) and the Zimbabwe Taxpayers’ Platform (ZITAP) have condemned the levies, citing the city’s long-standing failure to properly manage public funds.
In a joint statement, the two organisations raised alarm over reports of ballooning executive salaries within the local authority, coupled with the surrendering of key revenue streams to private players and parastatals.
“These new levies come following revelations of fiscal abuse of revenue collected by the City through unreasonably high salaries for the local authority’s executives, alongside the surrendering of key revenue streams and mandates to private companies,” CHRA and ZITAP said.
Under the new framework, residents in high-density suburbs are expected to pay an additional US$1 monthly for water infrastructure, while those in low-density suburbs face a US$3 fee.
On the other hand, commercial properties will be charged 7.5% based on their monthly water consumption.
A flat rate of US$1 has also been introduced for street lighting across all areas, and emergency services will see residents paying between US$1 and US$2 depending on their location.
However, CHRA and ZITAP argue that these levies constitute double taxation, as the City of Harare already collects significant revenue which, if properly managed and ring-fenced, could fund these services.
They warned that revenue being collected for water services is not being transparently allocated, leaving it susceptible to misuse.
Particularly concerning to the groups is the central government’s failure to adequately disburse constitutionally mandated devolution funds.
Despite Section 301(3) of the Constitution requiring a fair allocation of national revenue to local authorities, the City of Harare had received only 1.91% of its total devolution allocation by November 2024.
This amounted to a paltry ZIG 1.218 million, leaving the city scrambling to plug funding gaps by levying already overstretched residents.
“This approach forces the financial burden onto residents who are already struggling, instead of holding the central government accountable for its failure to release the necessary funds for capital projects and infrastructure,” read the statement.
CHRA and ZITAP are demanding an immediate halt to the new levies and calling on the City of Harare to prioritize efficient collection and use of its existing revenue streams.
The groups are also urging the central government to refrain from interfering in city governance, particularly through the transfer of service delivery responsibilities to parastatals like ZINWA and private companies, which they say undermines local authority accountability.
Furthermore, they insist that the Ministry of Finance must adhere to constitutional provisions mandating the equitable sharing of national revenue, including the disbursement of the 5% devolution funds, to enable municipalities like Harare to invest in critical infrastructure without resorting to punishing new taxes.
As discontent continues to rise, the residents of Harare are demanding not only an end to what they perceive as exploitative levies, but also a long-overdue commitment to transparency, accountability, and financial justice from both their local authority and the central government.
