RESIDENTS of Bulawayo were left seething with anger after council cancelled a rates and tax reduction meeting proposed by the Local Government and Public Works ministry and the local authority for the third time last Friday.
According to reports, two earlier meetings reached an impasse after the proposed 2025 budget was roundly rejected by stakeholders.
The impasse was as a result of the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) management's refusal to disclose the wage bill.
Officials from the ministry and BCC had invited stakeholders from the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries, residents, the business community, informal traders, civic organisations, religious organisations, transport and sporting associations, among others who attended previous meetings.
However, the residents were barred from attending the meeting, which was moved to Council Chambers, with only the special committee in attendance.
BCC corporate communications officer Bongiwe Ngwenya moved the residents to the Small City Hall advising them that they would be updated by their leaders.
“The ministry clarified in the morning and advised the leaders that the meeting scheduled for 2pm was cancelled. Their assumption was that your leaders will address the development,” she told the irked residents.
The residents refused to budge, demanding answers to their grievances.
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“We were called for a meeting to address our grievances on rates. They are very high and things are tough. Where do they think we will get all the money on our bills?
“They have cancelled the meeting, but we still have grievances, so we want to be addressed by council,” Felix Mpala, a resident of Riverside, said.
He said residents should boycott paying rates and parking fees until the authorities address them.
Felix Gwebu, a Tshabalala resident, echoed similar sentiments.
“We wanted [to meet] the ministry officials so that we tell them that the rates must come down. They must use the 2017 rates. The new formula is not good,” Gwebu said.
“When they were attaching residents’ property in Njube, what criteria did they use when they used wrong rates?”
Anna Sibanda, a pensioner residing in Mpopoma, expressed concern over prospects of losing her property due to the high bills she received.
“As the elderly, council is really failing us. We were told to pay our water bills within seven days or else they will confiscate our properties,” she said.
“So we thought we were going to bring that up in the meeting, since it has been cancelled our properties will be confiscated.”
Residents’ Charter chairperson Thamsanqa Ndlovu said they shifted the meeting to today after seeing that residents were very angry.
“It was said that there were some hidden procedures when the council wrongfully charged people. They then stopped the residents from attending the meeting, allowing only the special committee in the meeting,” he said.
“There is a very big problem among council, its employees and the residents.
“We should find a way of working directly with the ministry, where will have a consultation and advocacy for people to be taught about their rights, the council workers’ rights, what is needed on budget procedures, the consensus.”
