BCC water disconnections unlawful: Abuz

in a bid to recover $61 million owed by ratepayers.

Abuz argues that the move by the City Council is unlawful in terms of the Urban Councils Act.
Of late, the local authority has sent thousands of water disconnection notices to ratepayers that include companies, Government departments and residents.
In the past, some companies in Bulawayo have suffered water disconnections resulting in some of them temporarily shutting down operations.
In a statement yesterday, Abuz said it noted and supported the city council’s efforts to recover what it is owed but the local authority needed to do it within the confines of the law.
“We insist that city council may only employ such recovery methods which are in terms of due procedure, and which is lawful. Sadly, City Council continues to ignore our pleadings and remonstrations that they act lawfully, in all instances.
“In particular, we refer to the fact that city council continues to disconnect water supplies and threatens eviction thereafter and such actions are perpetrated by city councils endeavours to recover so-called outstanding amounts, which are not related to water bills.”
Abuz said the Bulawayo City Council should take note from what happened to the Harare City Council for the very same behaviour.
“The High Court of Harare, in case No HC5948/05, has set precedence by previously warning Harare City Council that such behaviour is unlawful, yet Bulawayo City Council knowingly and arrogantly continues to perpetrate these unlawful acts, with seeming impunity.”
Abuz said correspondences to hand, between the city council and one of their members, of which they supply copies of, substantiated their accusations.
“It will be noted, from the city council’s letter, which is signed by the financial director, that he and the city council are fully aware of the fact that they are acting unlawfully. The excuses rendered, for this unlawful behaviour, are both frivolous and arrogant in the extreme.
“By virtue of the fact that city council is acting unlawfully, in this respect, they are deliberately creating a health hazard and this practice must be stopped forthwith,” said Abuz.
Abuz said service providers such as the Bulawayo City Council and Zesa must be made to understand that the laws of the land apply to them just as they do to everyone else.
“Their continued and deliberate disregard for the rulings of our courts must not be allowed to continue.
“We hope that the powers-that-be will take cognisance of these injustices and act accordingly, failing which, recourse to the courts by the unjustly prejudiced city residents, will be inevitable.”