via MPs propose hut tax | The Financial Gazette by Clemence Manyukwe 29 Jan 2014
LAWMAKERS have made controversial tax proposals to enable cash-strapped councils to crawl out of the current financial quagmire, among them the re-introduction of the colonial hut tax.In a report tabled in Parliament last week, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government said councils must be innovative and devise ways of raising funds through such instruments as the much-loathed hut tax.
They said the 2014 National Budget violated the Constitution as it failed to allocate funds to the Chiefs’ Council while inadequate funds were availed to metropolitan and provincial councils.
For instance, metropolitan and provincial councils were only given US$12 million out of Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa’s US$4,4 billion budget unveiled mid December.
As per the new Constitution, these were entitled to five percent of the budget, which means Treasury should have set aside US$206 million for this purpose.
The Chiefs’ Council was allocated nothing, also in violation of section 305 of the new charter.
“The (Local Government) Ministry submitted a bid of US$2 million but no allocation was made. Your committee is of the view that this is tantamount to violating the Constitution, thus rendering the budget unconstitutional,” reads part of the report.
Chinamasa had an uphill task in attempts to balance government’s books amid dwindling revenues and ballooning expenditures.
He conceded during his presentation last month that his budget was tilted towards policies that would steer the country forward after more than a decade of economic turmoil.
But the committee risks riling the generality of the population after it suggested a raft of taxes such as hut, cattle, bicycles and land taxes to improve councils’ cash flows.
In their report, the lawmakers ignored the additional financial burdens this could cause on ordinary Zimbabweans, already reeling from high unemployment and low salaries.
Part of the report reads: “Your committee observed that while councils were complaining about lack of funds, they were ignoring potential sources of revenue generation such as hut, herd, dog, bicycle and land taxes, in addition to the development levy.”
The hut tax, in particular, was a loathed instrument throughout colonial Africa as a result of the injustices and cruelty that were associated with its collection by racist administrators.
Taxation was used as a way of driving people into working for money and the competence of colonial officials was often measured by how much tax they collected.
Hut tax was first introduced at the rate of 10 shillings per hut in 1894, before it was doubled in 1904. It was collected by the British South Africa Company.
Some historical accounts say the introduction of the hut tax contributed to the first Chimurenga, the first rebellion against the colonialists by the country’s ancestors in 1896.
In Liberia, its implementation led to the Kru revolt in 1915.
COMMENTS
Ahh, liberation.
It’s no secret, within or beyond the borders of Zimbabwe, that rational and forward-thinking individuals know Rhodesia as a lesser evil to that of Zimbabwe. While the Rhodesian nation saddled itself with a few ridiculously exclusionary — dare I say racist — policies, it could have propelled the nation into first-world status by now.
There are some taxes that cannot be re-introduced and hut tax is one of them. Smith had hut tax, dog tax, chibharo etc and these formed the base of resentment, resistence and indeed war. You can re-introduce hut tax but this will be disastrous.
“chibharo” what is that? Can you explain?
you cannot tax people who have no money,the braindamage continues.
Go for it. Let those who voted for ZANU pay tax on their huts. After all this will be another way for them to show us all how patriotic they are!
COLONIAL HANGOVER!HAS THE CLERK OF PARLIAMENT PAID THESE JOKERS THEIR SLEEPING ALLOWANCES!
I SSE THE CENSORSHIP BOARD IS BACK! THE RHODESIA FRONT (RF) STYLE, MR MODERATOR! CONGRATS!
I support hut taxes. Those people need to pay taxes not just benefit from taxes paid by those in the cities.
You are very stupid where do you think the rural people will get the money from.
Just to prove a point that You are worse off than the Smith regime. Hatimboshamiswe nazvo kana nepadiki pose
We are already paying hut and cow tax in my area. There is nothing new. Children tax must b on standby.
Hut tax is a good idea, esp for Uzumba Maramba Pfungwa!
After all, it’s the same villagers who voted these demons into power, so let them feel the heat. Introduce the hut tax!
Muchapedzisira motaxer asura wani. Compare your laws neye hudzwanyiriri muwone kuti chamachinja chii? Its so pathetic. If you fail, the ordinary person has to suffer. Ko kungoti tazvitadza mopa vamwe vanewone vatonge. Hazvinyadzisi kuti mutaure chokwadi. You may even tax munhu kuti nhasi wakafarirei. MAKONEWA PLIZ BVUMAI. That only shows how the elections were contacted. Were they credible? NEVER!
Hut tax financed hospitals, roads, police, cattle dips, veterinary services, etc.,etc., evil colonialists should have provided all this for free and so should the this mob – after all they promised it at their pungwes.
What a lot of rubbish. Councils would not be cash strapped if their respective managements did not pay themselves huge salaries and engaged in corrupt activities.
Some of these taxes are already being charged eg cattle dipping.Who knows maybe the hut tax is already included in the dipping fees.They will never tell the villagers the truth, so they just increase the dipping charges.
Gukurahundi Tax?
Just proves how close in mindset the Comrades are to the Colonialists. All men are equal but some are more equal than others.
EHEE REGAYI VATAXE VANHU VEKUMAMISHA VANGWARIRE MAYBE ISU WE MDC TINOWANA CHEKUKAMBENAWO NACHO MUNA2017 IMOMO KO HANDITI VANO ZANU PF YAKANAKA HERE … NDOOKAKUNAKA KWACHOKAUKO HEE ? HUT TAX ? MUTAURO WAISHANDISWA MUNGUVA YARHODES YEKUDZVINYIRIRA MUNHU MUTEMA, UYE VAITIRA KUTI VANHU VANOSHANDIRA MABHUNU KUTU UGOWANA KUZOBHADHARA MARI IDZODZI KANA MWEDZI WAPERA … SAKA IMIWO HONAYI VANHU VANOTI VAKASUNUNGURA NYIKA KUBVA MUHUDZVINYIRIRI .. PAAAMBERRRI NEZANU PFFF…. PAMBEERRI MUCHIROVA SLOGAN SAKA SHARP SISONKE ISU TINOGARA KUNO KUDHOROBHA TAXI TAKAJAIRA KUDHARA MAMAMA BHADHARAYI
FACT: Blacks paid NO INCOME TAX or SALES TAX during the Smith regime. In Zim we pay a 6% Rural Electrification to ZESA. Its about time they pay a hut tax as they are ultimately the majority who vote MUGARBAGE in time after time. Government so broke they going to charge us for the air we breath. Watch this space!
Hut tax is not right, instead they need to institute Land Tax with at reasonable millage rate sat $1/acre/year. Maybe some of these chefs who were greedy grabing land give to the Govt what they got for free. If you look at the salary structure, that should not be a problem for most of them.
Zachaeus was a notorious tax collector, asi paripo paainzwa tsitsi.Ava vandipedza ,ndashaya remuromo.The Gods must be crazy.
Hut tax? What is meant to achieve? If i dont pay what will happen? Is it not one of the laws used by the white government which led to the strikes by blacks and eventually made themto take up arms?
What did we really fight for is my vexing question? Replace one evil with another. AH DAMN .
Its about time the people stand together and fight this monster Mugabe government. They get paid millions a month hence they still want poor hungry people to pay them more. There is no use on paying the tax because it does not help the payer anyhow.The development in Matebeleland happened before independence, when it was Rhodesia.