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Yeukai Karengezeka Herald Correspondent
There was a heated argument amongst councillors at the Chitungwiza Municipality chambers on Thursday over a recommendation put forward by the Finance Committee for land sales to be paid in US dollars.

Some councillors were in support of the recommendation arguing that it would bring sustainability to the local authority while others were against it saying it was unjust since Government is still paying workers’ salaries in RTGS dollars.

Councillors could not reach consensus and resolved to call for another meeting sometime this week to deliberate over the matter.

Finance committee chairperson Councillor Peter Matiringe said it was ideal to charge in US dollars the land sales rather than to give away the land at the current charge of RTGS$8 per square metre.

“We cannot thrive if we are giving away our land just like that. We need to charge in US dollars. This will also help to minimise the operations of land barons and clients would prefer to buy stands directly from the council,” he said.

Councillors Jabulani Mtunzi, Gift Tsverere and Darlington Musonza concurred that it made sense to charge in foreign currency in order to meet  the costs of running the town.

“If we continue charging in local currency, surely we will soon shut down this municipality because the value of our money is depreciating and it will not be able to buy anything.

“Even in our supermarkets, they are charging what is equivalent to the US dollar rate, prices of commodities never increased and even other local authorities like Harare City Council are now charging land sales in US dollars or one can alternatively pay in RTGS according to the prevailing exchange rate,” said Cllr Mtunzi.

Cllr Tsverere said it was crucial to come up with a supplementary budget urgently and open a nostro account that allows those who preferred to make payments in foreign currency to do so.

Finance director Mrs Evangelista Machona told councillors that the local currency was fluctuating in value threby  seriously compromising service delivery hence the need to peg prices in US dollars.

“Currently, we have failed to open a foreign currency nostro account because we do not have the money. We have failed to procure service delivery vehicles due of lack of foreign currency because we are only accepting RTGS dollars.

“Our approved budget was made while the bond note was still 1:1 with the US dollar but the economy is changing hence the need to make adjustments accordingly,” she said.