Bulawayo City Council initiates legal proceeding to recover debts from residents

Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor

THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has reportedly disconnected water supplies to more than 2 000 properties in the city and has initiated legal proceedings on 650 households to recover over US$45,8 million it is owed by defaulters.

The local authority has, over the past few months, been clashing with its residents over overstated bills despite going for close to a week without water due to the 120-hour water-shedding schedule.

Council officials, on the other hand, have defended the bills, saying while there may be a few cases where the local authority could have been erring, in most cases, the high bills were caused by non-payments or paying lower than billed amounts leading to the accumulation of debt.

According to the latest council report, the local authority’s monthly collection was averaging 55 percent, and in a bid to recover what was owed, they had since disconnected 2 070 properties, a majority of which are in the low-density suburbs (1 448 properties).

“It had been recognised that households with more occupants tended to consume more water, leading to higher bills. Escalated bills in low-density areas were often a result of unnoticed underground pipe leakages. These leaks could go undetected for extended periods, causing water wastage and contributing to higher bills.

“To address this issue, policymakers needed to encourage residents in their respective wards to regularly read their water meters and keep records, especially during water shedding periods and at night. By doing so, residents could help identify abnormal billing and properties affected by leakages,” reads the council report.

In a bid to recover what is owed to them, the local authority has disconnected supplies in 1 331 households in Burnside, which ironically falls under the city’s Mayor, Councillor David Coltart’s Ward Four.

Other households that have been disconnected are 117 in Emhlangeni and 622 in Lobengula.

For the Lobengula households, they have all been handed over to the legal section for court proceedings to recover the debt.

A total of 3 121 households in Kumalo and Parklands have been given 24-hour notices, and 556 properties in Mzilikazi have also been given 24-hour notices while 910 households in Nketa and Nkulumane have had council officials calling them to follow up on what they owed while 58 properties in Pelandaba, 198 in Pumula and 180 in Tshabalala have been visited by council officials for engagement on their debt.

In terms of indebtedness to the local authority, Ward One, which is mainly the Central Business District has the largest defaulters with the ward’s debt pegged at US$7,8 million. Clr Colart’s Ward Four has the second-highest figure at US$4,3 million.

Ward Four comprises Burnside, Ascot, Willsgrove, Glencoe, Lochview, Riverside, Buena Vista, Manningdale, Sunninghill, Waterford, Matsheumhlope Portion, Hillside Portion, Fortunes Gate, Malindela, Woodlands, Ilanda, and Selbourne Park Phases 1 and 2.

Ward Seven, which comprises Makokoba, Thorngrove Industries, Thorngrove Rented, Thorngrove, Westgate, Steeldale and Westondale owes US$3,5 million, ward three which is made up of Suburbs, Hume Park, Killarney, Waterlea, Orange Groove, Queens Park East, Romney Park, Sunnyside, Paddonhurst, Kumalo, Glengarry, Parklands, Northlea, Woodville and Mahatshula, owes US$3,4 million.

Complete the top five list of the most owing wards in Bulawayo is Ward Six which owes US$3,2 million. Suburbs in Ward Six are Bellevue, Newton West, Barham Green, Montrose, West Sommerton, Southwold, Donnington, Belmont, and Sidojiwe Hostel.

The lowest bills owing are reportedly in Ward 19, which owes US$537 159. The ward is made up of Pumula East, Pumula North and Old Pumula. The second lowest bill, according to the local authority, is that of ward 10 (Entumbane), which owes US$544 243.