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Hwange Bureau
Vendors in Hwange are pleading with the Rural District Council to consider reducing licence fees which have shot up by more than 100 percent.
According to the vendors the rates were raised from US$36 to US$100 per year, a fee they say is too high further citing that the hike would cripple their businesses rendering several families financially incapacitated if the matter is not solved.
This development comes at a time Hwange RDC and Hwange Colliery Company are warring over regulating and controlling the informal traders in the town, a situation that has caused vendors to pay rates to both entities.
Whange Vendors Traders Association (WVTA) organising secretary Elton Mguni, said the Hwange colliery rates are reasonable but the licence fees from Hwange RDC were just too high.
“We used to get our licenses from the DA offices but now were told to get them from Hwange Rural District Council (HRDC). We use HCCL premises for market stalls, the rentals are very affordable because we are paying 10 USD per month”
“The major challenge we have is of getting a licence from the HRDC, where they hiked the licenses from US$36 usd to USD100 per year.
Mguni said authorities from HRDC did not consult them before implementing the hike.
“How can the rate be hiked for no reason like that, we have not even taken the licences because the price is outrageously high. We were only told about the new licence fee last Wednesday while renewing the licenses,” said Mguni.
“We have never been given a chance to air our views, we don’t even know if they do any budget meetings. Honestly how can they peg the licence fee at USD100 for a person who sells vegetables and tomatoes at the rank?”
Meanwhile the WVTA has engaged Greater Hwange Residents Trust to assist them in settling down the issue with HRDC.
“We really appreciate that our case is now within the media circles, and we are hoping our grievances will be heard by the responsible authorities, because honestly US$100 is not a joke for us vendors,” he said.
Efforts to get a comment from HRDC were fruitless as the Chief Executive Officer was unreachable. Indaba
