GWERU residents have been urged to make relevant and meaningful contributions during the 2025 national budget consultations so that key service delivery issues are addressed.
Speaking yesterday at a Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) participatory budget training meeting in the Midlands capital, GRRA director Cornelia Selipiwe said residents usually miss out during the budget formulation process by concentrating on other issues that have nothing to do with service delivery.
“This time around, let us go in our numbers, in our wards and in our different groups and make pertinent contributions to the 2025 budget,” Selipiwe said.
“We expect residents to make meaningful contributions on key issues such as health, education, water and sanitation, roads, housing and public lighting, among others and not waste time asking for individualistic demands some of which are even unrealistic.
“If as ratepayers we point to key issues that we want in the budget, this will enable us to make council accountable to those issues.”
He applauded council for consulting stakeholders before making a budget proposal for next year.
“For the first time in the history of Gweru City Council, council first asked stakeholders for their input before coming up with a crafted draft budget for 2025 and we commend them for that,” Selipiwe said.
“So we are saying residents should take advantage of this move and come forward with meangingful contributions.”
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It, however, emerged during the meeting that youths were shunning budget consultation meetings.
Gweru United Residents and Progressive Ratepayers Development Association director David Chikore urged the youths to participate in the budget formulation processes so that their concerns are included.
“No one will stand for your interests in your absence and so it is prudent that as youths, you actively participate in budget processes,” he said.
Participants at the meeting unanimously agreed that residents associations and civic society organisations should unite and properly co-ordinate themselves in making sure there is “quality input” from stakeholders in next year’s budget.
