Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe Zimpapers Business Hub
CITY of Bulawayo residents have delivered a damning verdict on the City Council’s performance, awarding it a score of only 4.34 out of 10 in its quest to become a “leading smart transformative City,” citing poor or failing service delivery in its most fundamental mandates of water provision, road maintenance and public safety lighting.
The assessment forms part of the local authorities’ report titled “Terminal Evaluation of the City of Bulawayo 2021-2025 Strategic Plan”.
Residents expressed deep frustration over the continued deterioration of basic municipal services, which they identified as the primary reason Bulawayo remains far from achieving its stated vision.
“Based on the consultations with clients who are largely impacted by the Council services, feedback revealed a profound citizen perception of systemic decline in core services.
“Residents have rated the City’s performance as poor or failing in its most fundamental mandates: water provision, road maintenance, and public safety lighting. This erosion of basic service delivery is the primary reason the public believes Bulawayo is far from achieving its vision of becoming a ‘leading smart transformative City,’ awarding it a score of only 4.34 out of 10,” reads part of the comprehensive report.
While the overall rating was low, the review noted that the five-year period under consideration recorded some positive developments in specific areas.
“The five years under review, however, had several positive impacts, including improved access to emergency response, youth skills training, and expansion of water access through borehole drilling and solarisation.”
Employment creation initiatives were also noted as a key gain during the 2021–2025 strategic plan period.
“Initiatives like the introduction of TTI Parking Solutions during the 2021-2025 strategic plan period created new employment opportunities in the city, as it required parking marshals to manage parking bays.”
Despite these gains, residents raised concerns over the affordability and financial sustainability of some service delivery models.
“Negative impacts included concerns over the affordability of PPP-delivered services and the financial burden of new systems like paid parking.”
When residents were asked to identify the most urgent intervention required from council, responses consistently pointed to three priority areas.
“When asked for the one immediate fix, citizen responses were overwhelmingly concentrated on three fundamental issues in order of frequency with a clear message.”
Water supply and sanitation was the most pressing issue, the report noted.
“Water supply & sanitation – Fix the pipes, secure the supply. End rationing, ensure clean water, and respond to sewer emergencies within hours, not days or weeks.”
Road infrastructure followed, with calls for a decisive shift from temporary repairs to permanent solutions.
“Road infrastructure – Launch a visible, city-wide road rehabilitation campaign. Move beyond patching potholes with sand to proper reconstruction.”
City cleanliness and waste management also featured prominently.
“City cleanliness & waste – Clean the CBD and manage vendors. Enforce bylaws, increase collections, and restore civic pride in a clean urban environment.”’
The city aimed to be a “leading, smart, transformative city” by 2025.
Its Corporate Strategy (2021–2025) was built on extensive stakeholder consultation and aligned with key national, regional, and international development blueprints including Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030, the Transitional Stabilisation Programme, National Development Strategy 1 (2021–2025) and NDS2 as well as the Sustainable Development Goals and Africa Agenda 2063.
