Brenna Matendere
Gweru—The Gweru City Council (GCC) has trebled the rates charged on residents of Woodlands Park, arguing that they live in an area that is ordinarily out of its jurisdiction.
The local authority refers to the charges as out-of-boundary rates.
Woodlands is technically considered “no-man’s-land” even though it is adjacent to suburbs falling under the council.
The suburb is home to at least 15, 000 residents, most of whom are low-income earners who include government employees.
It was established by Mahlaba Housing Programme, trading as River Valley Properties, at Lot 1 of 5A of West Gwelo Block in 2010.
A 2019 investigation supported by Information for Development Trust, a non-profit investigative journalism hub, revealed that the private developer had not consulted the Gweru authority and Vungu when it set up Woodlands.
While it is viewed as an urban settlement where residents see themselves as citizens of Gweru, the land on which it was built falls under the jurisdiction of the Vungu Rural District Council, which has never provided basic services to the area, forcing GCC to do so.
The services rendered to Woodlands include water and power supply, sewer reticulation and refuse collection.
The out of boundary charges for the residents came into effect last month and saw bills that would normally carry amounts below US$50 per household increasing threefold.
For over a decade, Woodlands was being charged the same rates as other Gweru suburbs like Mkoba, Mambo, Mtapa, Ascot and Senga.
Residents who spoke to this publication said they described the new arrangement as “awkward”.
“We stay in town but now it’s like we are rural dwellers because the Gweru council is saying we are out of its boundary. The figures coming on our bills are now unaffordable,” said Panganai Marere, a resident of Woodlands.
Another resident, Mirirai Nyoni, revealed that the new rates had stoked tension between Woodlands residents and the GCC.
According to Nyoni, the council did not consult them on its annual budget or the current rates.
Woodlands councillor, Parirenyatwa Nyika, said the out-of=boundary charges have come as a shock for residents.
“The figures are too high and we fear many residents will have their properties attached after failing to pay. The residents are saying the out-of-boundary charges are unfair,” he told News Hub.
This publication established that the Gweru municipality took a decision that the Woodlands residents must now be charged separately because their suburb is located under Vungu Rural District’s Ward 5.
The Gweru mayor, Martin Chivhoko, confirmed the development.
He said the council’s decision is in line with laws governing local authorities.
“The boundaries are not determined arbitrarily by councils but are defined in terms of the operative master plans for the City of Gweru and Vungu Rural District Council. These plans are established under the provisions of the Regional, Town, and Country Planning Act.
“Residents are encouraged to visit either the offices of Vungu RDC or the City of Gweru to inspect these master plans and confirm the boundaries of their suburbs to determine the jurisdiction under which they fall,” he said.
“The concept of charging different tariffs for services provided to areas outside municipal boundaries is not unique to Gweru. It is a well-established practice that recognizes the additional costs and logistical complexities of extending services beyond the jurisdiction of a council.
“For the City of Gweru, this principle has been in place for decades, with installations such as facilities along the Gwenoro mainline, Whawha Prison, and adjacent settlements historically receiving services from Gweru City Council,” added.
Chivhoko said council needed to recoup costs involved in supplying services to areas out of its jurisdiction, Woodlands included.
“The rationale for charging out-of-boundary tariffs lies in the additional costs incurred by the service provider. Extending services beyond the city boundary often involves greater distances, infrastructure wear and tear, and administrative challenges. These costs must be reflected in the tariffs to ensure the sustainability of service provision,” he said.
The mayor cited Harare and Kwekwe as other cities charging out-of-boundary charges.
Harare, the capital, provides extra-jurisdiction services to Chitungwiza and Norton town, while Kwekwe does the same for Redcliff.
“Similarly, Gweru provides services to settlements within Vungu RDC, such as Woodlands, under a standing arrangement. Initially, Vungu RDC could have had a bulk-metering agreement with the City of Gweru for water supply. However, at Vungu’s recommendation, this arrangement was modified to allow direct household-level connections for better service delivery to its residents,” said Chivhoko.
“This is not a localised issue but a global practice. It recognises the interdependence of urban and peri-urban areas and seeks to balance the interests of all parties involved. The arrangement between the City of Gweru and Vungu RDC demonstrates a collaborative approach to ensure that essential services reach all residents, irrespective of administrative boundaries, while maintaining financial and operational sustainability,” he added.