Chronicle Editor
Sikhulekelani Moyo, Chronicle reporter
THE sun rose early over the city of Bulawayo, casting its warm golden light on the streets and buildings. The city was alive with the sound of people going about their daily routines. But last Friday, something special was happening.
At the city council headquarters, a breakfast meeting was held to honour the top 100 corporates who have been committed to paying their rates and bills on time. Representatives from different organisations were invited to the meeting, and certificates were handed out to those who had made the list.
The mayor of Bulawayo, Solomon Mguni, had prepared a speech to express his gratitude to the corporates for their consistent payment of municipal bills. In his absence, his deputy, Councilor Mlandu Ncube, delivered the speech on his behalf.
The mayor’s message was clear: the city council is mandated to provide quality service to the satisfaction of the clients and stakeholders, and he said the council is committed to improving standards of service delivery in line with its vision to become a smart transformative city by 2024.
“Today we are celebrating you, our customers, for your consistent payment of municipal bills, I applaud your diligence and resolve to be key players in the financial sustainability of the city of Bulawayo.
“It is our desire as the City of Bulawayo to be a customer-centric organisation, with a culture of doing business that focuses on creating the best experience for the customer thereby building brand loyalty to Bulawayo local authorities.”
“Thank you all for being loyal to the city by paying your bills on time and being there for Bulawayo, your contributions are valid and we really appreciate it.”
The Director of Engineering Services, Sikhumbuzo Ncube called on corporates to support the city in these hard times. He urged them to donate in cash or kind towards the provision of clean water to other parts of the city. He said it was not the duty of the mayor or city council officials to build the city but everyone’s duty, including corporates.
“So far, we have managed to acquire four bowsers, and these are being used to provide water in high areas where water cannot reach,” said Eng Ncube.
The town clerk Mr Christopher Dube applauded corporates for their timeous payment of rates and bills, but he appealed to them to pay part of their dues in foreign currency to allow improved service delivery.
“We applied to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development that we have a policy or directive that we get paid a certain percentage in foreign currency and the Ministry said ‘no’, we can’t give you that permission, but if you can talk to the corporates as BCC. So, we are asking you to help us and pay part of your bills in foreign currency so that we can improve service delivery,” said Dube.
The meeting was a success, and the top corporates that were recognised by the BCC included local supermarkets, universities, hotels, hospitals, and financial institutions like Zimbabwe Grain Bag, ZITF, Delta, Ingwebu, National University of Science and Technology, Zimbabwe School of Mines, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Mater Dei, Dairy Board, National Foods, Forestry Commission, OK Supermarket, NSSA, Rainbow Hotel, and Lobels Bread.
Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) chief executive officer Dr Nicholas Ndebele said corporates should pay their bills to the city council in time so that the city will get quality service delivery.
“It’s important for us as corporates to support our city and it is important that we pay our bills in good time and it is important for the city to help us by ensuring that it is affordable for the corporates to carry that load and secondly that there are visible improvements because of those regular payments we make,” said Dr Ndebele.
“So, for those corporates that are yet to settle their bills, at least update their accounts. I really urge them to do so, so that it’s all hands on the deck and keep our city clean, it’s important that we keep city roads functional, therefore the city cannot do it without us, it’s us the citizens, and corporates who have also come on board and ensure that we support our city.”
The stakeholders who attended the meeting also raised issues on refuse collection and installation of solar power to pump stations to allow continuous pumping of water without depending on the national grid which has seen the city going for days without water.
In response, BCC said they have plans in place to increase the fleet on refuse collection, and they are in the process of engaging in solar projects. The city strives to see a clean environment, and it is moving towards better standards.
As the meeting came to an end, the corporates left with a sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing that they had contributed to the financial sustainability of the city of Bulawayo. The sun continued to shine down on the city, and it seemed that even nature was smiling on this momentous occasion. –@SikhulekelaniM1
Online Reporter