Bulawayo loses $21m property to fire

Vusumuzi Dube, Senior Municipal Reporter

BULAWAYO lost property worth $20,6 million last year to fire while $3 billion worth of property was under fire exposure as 25 percent of fire hydrants in the city are damaged, it has been learnt.

The issue came out during a full council meeting a couple of weeks ago where councillors not only expressed shock on the issue, noting that there was a need for the local authority to divert some of its resources to repair fire hydrants. 

According to the latest council report, last year the local authority recorded property valued at $3,2 billion that was at fire risk, with the actual property lost due to fire being pegged at $20,6 million.

January 2019 had the highest cost of property at fire risk at $3 009 752 000, however, the property eventually lost was valued at $5 986 800. 

In February, the property at risk was worth $10 557 000, while the actual property lost was worth $317 300.