The cost of a grave in council owned cemeteries in Bulawayo will double if the proposed 2019 budget is adopted.
The local authority is proposing a $212,5 million budget which will see residents paying more in rates.
According to the proposed budget the price of an average adult size grave will increase from $37 to $63.
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) implored the local authority to use the funds in a transparent manner.
“We appreciate that the operational environment is difficult for local authority,’ said BPRA spokesperson, Emmanuel Ndlovu.
“The council is struggling to raise funds to execute exceptional service delivery. We implore for transparency from the council.
“The council must ensure the money paid by residents for specifically burial services must be directly used for that. There is a tendency of diverting funds, channeling them to the wrong platforms.
Ndlovu said the local authority has a history of diverting funds to other projects which in turn affect service delivery.
“For starters we realise the council is struggling in maintaining the health sector, their funds are inadequate,’ said Ndlovu.
“We carried out a research recently and realised the council is not using revenue as supposed to. They are to remit 30% to salaries and 70% to service delivery but our research revealed they were remitting 50% to each”.
Ndlovu said BPRA has launched a campaign called “We pay you deliver” where they intend to safeguard the revenue paid by residents.
“We expect them to upgrade services and improve water supply,” he said.
“There are times when residents indirectly get penalised for water loss due to burst pipes. It is such things that we expect the council to attend to”.
