Bulilima RDC in the red

Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
THE BULILIMA Rural District Council is struggling to sustain operations owing to poor revenue collection, the local authority’s chief executive officer, John Brown Ncube, has said. Speaking at a full council meeting yesterday, Ncube said the local authority continued to record poor cash inflows since the beginning of the year. He said the challenge has persisted for several years.

Ncube said the RDC’s budget for the year 2015 which had been pegged at $2,1 million was still to be approved.

“The period extending from January to date has been characterised by poor cash inflows as ratepayers are defaulting. Another challenge is that the council hasn’t received any feedback from the central government on our 2015 budget proposal. We’re still to know whether or not it has been approved.

“As a result, we’ve retained the figures from last year’s budget pegged at $2,3 million,” said Ncube.

He said shops owners within the district had managed to pay $38,356 against an expected $95,004.

Ncube said private schools within the district namely Dombodema High and Thekwane Mission had paid last year’s balance of $600 each but were yet to make this year’s payment.

He said only 17 council schools had made their payments of $50 each out of more than 70 schools.

Ncube said residents still owed the council huge sums of money in unpaid rentals.

He said despite this challenge the council had made great strides in development projects.

The Bulilima CEO said council had partnered with the Zimbabwe National Army on some of the projects.

He said the ZNA carpenters had assisted in roofing three clinics and a secondary school.

“So far three quarters of our wards are engaged in one development activity or another. We’ve managed to get donors who’ve pledged to fundraise towards fencing the clinic and buying an ambulance for Tokwana Clinic which will be opening next month.

“We’ve received 25 boxes full of clinic material which is ready for inspection by the Ministry of Health and Child Care personnel. Beds are being manufactured and we’re expecting more material from other well-wishers,” said Ncube.

He said communities were making significant progress in their projects.

Ncube said the community of Goba raised R7,000 towards the construction of a primary school in their area.

Speaking at the same meeting the chairperson of the social services committee, Councillor Simon Sibanda, said the local authority was still lagging behind in terms of health and education service delivery.

Clr Sibanda said some health centres were in a poor condition and needed repair while some nurses did not have accommodation.

“Most schools’ infrastructure is now dilapidated thereby posing great danger to pupils,” he said.