By Staff Reporter
A GROUP representing the affairs of Mutare residents and ratepayers is up in arms with authorities in the eastern border city for unilaterally hiking rates by more than 300 percent when residents were struggling to survive a tough economic period which has further been worsened by the effects of the Covid-19 induced lockdown.
The rate increase, according to the city, was an attempt to cushion the local authority against inflation and high cost of service delivery.
The new tariff regime saw most residents in high-density areas pay over ZWL$5 000 for service charges per month, an amount they say was obscene considering the state of the economy.