Combined Epworth Residents Trust and Epworth Residents Development Association members have accused the Local Board of coming up with the budget without consulting all stakeholders.
Chombo is on record as resolving not to approve budget proposals lacking residents’ input and provision for service delivery.
Victor Kamba, founder and programmes coordinator of the Trust, told The Zimbabwean that residents had disowned the budget proposal as they did not participate in the formulation process.
“Since the budget was not owned by the people we realised that it was too late to engage the Local Board but to seek Chombo’s intervention. Residents are angry and not comfortable with the budget which has no provision for service delivery,” said Victor Kamba, founder of the Trust.
The $4.2 million dollar budget proposal had nothing for service delivery but a provision for vehicle servicing, he said, and most of the vehicles were used by management for both official and private duties.
Tafara Murambidzi, chairperson of the board, said some people would politicise meetings convened by the local authority hence the ignorance about the consultative gatherings conducted for the budget.
“It is not true that we did not consult residents but the problem is that most locals shun developmental meetings for political reasons. People who chose not to attend the meetings are the same who complain that they were not consulted. Residents should learn to attend events organised by their local authority,” he said.
Post published in: News