CITIZENS Coalition for Change (CCC) deputy spokesperson Gift “Ostallos” Siziba has called on Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion minister Mthuli Ncube to reverse his decision to tax house owners arguing that the move would choke pensioners who receive paltry monthly payouts.
Siziba made the call at a campaign rally in Nketa constituency ahead of the December 9 by-elections.
He said Ncube’s budget was faulty since it was presented in Zimdollars after several attempts to persuade him to use hard currency fell on deaf ears.
“There is no country that has developed its economy by over-taxing people in the world of economics. He says he owns a house worth US$100 000, and pays 1%.
“We have pensioners today, these are the people who own these houses worth US$100 000 but they are no longer getting paid.
“They made contributions to the National Social Security Authority but others die in bank queues and Ncube tells them he wants US$$10 000 from them every month.”
Siziba said it was also unfair to tax residents who were failing to make ends meet.
“These are the elderly people and you are over-taxing them because they (ministers) do not pay rentals,” Siziba said.
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Ncube, in his 2024 national budget, proposed a tax of 1% for every house worth more than US$100 000 but Siziba warned that Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle was prompted by over-taxing of black people.
“Do not forget that at some stage, the poor will remain with nothing to eat while everything is centralised in Harare.
“If someone wants to go to Harare from Gwanda, he will have to part with US$30 for tollgate fees, the danger is that people will start to evade tax, leading to corruption,” he said.
