By Flata Kavinga
Businesspeople in Kwekwe have expressed concern over what they described as punitive rates being charged by the City of Kwekwe, warning that the high charges are threatening business viability and economic recovery efforts in the city.
The complaints came during the city’s 2025 budget review and 2026 budget consultation meeting held with the business community this week.
Businessman Oliver Rugube said the current tariffs had become unaffordable for most enterprises, urging the local authority to review its billing system.
“The honest truth is that the rates that we are paying now, to us as business, are becoming punitive,” Rugube said. “People are not failing to pay because they don’t want to — they can no longer afford to pay the new rates.”
Another businessman, Themba Musekiwa, said the high charges were forcing some operators to consider borrowing from banks just to meet council obligations, a situation he described as unsustainable.
“If people have to take a loan from the bank to pay rates, then you should know that there is something very wrong,” Musekiwa said.
He further noted that the city could reduce the burden on ratepayers by addressing inefficiencies such as unregulated heavy vehicle traffic that damages roads and increases maintenance costs.
“We’re trying to get to a situation whereby if these trucks are stopped, then the damage to the roads is minimized. All people should pay fairly, and if that happens, what people pay can just come down through that effort,” Musekiwa added.
The business community urged council officials to consider the current harsh economic environment and align rates to the capacity of residents and companies to pay.
City officials are currently conducting a series of budget consultations with various stakeholder groups as part of preparations for the 2026 municipal budget.
