Residents fume over high council charges
AS residents continue to blast the Bulawayo City Council for raising rates and rentals in their 2019 budget projects it has since emerged that 16 out of 32 consultation meetings in the city endorsed the budget, while the local authority failed to hold a meeting in one ward.
The consultation did not take place in Ward 24, which is under the leadership of controversial Councillor, Arnold Batirai.
Although the council’s senior public relations officer, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu could not comment why the meeting was not held, sources revealed residents in the ward refused to listen to Clr Batirai arguing that they did not recognise him as their ward councillor.
Mrs Mpofu revealed that women in the city were among the constituencies consulted that had voted no to the budget. She, however, could not be drawn into commenting on the reason for the rejection. Wards that did not endorse the budget are wards 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27 and 28.
The business community and youth endorsed the budget together with wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 13, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23 and 29.
Speaking during the budget presentation that was held last Wednesday, councillors implored those that had not endorsed the budget to come aboard and help the local authority push one way.
“Now that we have our budget let us all work together in implementing it, yes we know there are some who did not endorse it but in a democracy it is the majority who always win and this time the majority of the constituencies consulted endorsed the budget,” said Ward One Councillor, Mlandu Ncube.
Meanwhile, residents have blasted the local authority for a number of irregularities within the budget making process, revealing that the local authority had even failed to provide them with copies of the financial review for 2018 and copies of the proposed 2019 budget prior to budget consultations.
They further allege the budget review document shared by the Bulawayo City Council at budget consultation meetings did not contain much information on the proposed 2019 budget.
In an interview with Sunday News, Bulawayo Progressive Residents’ Association information manager, Mr Zibusiso Dube, said the local authority owed residents an explanation.
“The Bulawayo City Council informed residents too late about the budget consultations, with information about the meetings only becoming available three days before commencement of the consultations. They once again failed to avail residents with copies of the financial review for 2018 and copies of the proposed 2019 budget prior to budget consultations, meaning that residents could not prepare their input in advance and make informed contributions at the budget consultations.
“While the council made indications on what it spends and would like to spend for say water, healthcare and education, no breakdowns of amounts to be spent were given. For instance, for water services it is unclear how much is spent on water chemicals or maintenance of the city’s water works or how much is spent on salaries for staff in the water department. As such, residents were put in a position where they cannot make meaningful contributions,” said Mr Dube.