Residents warn of massive budget demos

Saturday at the Community Hall said the City of Harare would be putting itself on collision course with residents if the 2007 City Budget was formulated, approved and subsequently implemented without the input and consent of residents.
The Combined Harare Residents Association told residents:
“What we as CHRA assure Harare residents is the establishment of a viable and formidable grassroots movement that assist them to understand and know their basic civic rights and responsibilities.
“Residents need a sound education on the budget-formulation mechanisms. We believe that if we push our issues and unite in response, we will succeed. Key issues that we need to be addressed in the upcoming budget are the city’s health delivery system, and the cost of seeking medical attention at both municipal clinics and hospitals.”
He urged the residents of Harare to spearhead the process of mobilisation against the doomed 2007 City Budget basing their position on three key principles of the legality of the principals of the budget, impropriety of the budget formulation process and the illegitimacy of the system driving the agenda.
“Residents must reject the city budget on the basis that it is coming from illegal people with dirty hands,” CHRA’s Precious Shumba said to a round of applause from the strong 90 plus people in attendance. “The commission lacks the mandate of residents to represent them. The whole process is illegitimate. If they proceed to formulate, present to the government and approve for implementation the 2007 budget then they are warned that residents of Harare will not sit back and watch thieves continue to destroy their future.” – CHRA