Council riles residents

 

Prosper Ndlovu  Senior Reporter
BULAWAYO residents are fuming over the $30 water reconnection fee being demanded by the city council from defaulters, saying the move was against the spirit of writing off debts.The Town Clerk, Mr Middleton Nyoni, who on Wednesday announced reversal of bills amounting to $46,3 million as directed by the Government, caught the ire of residents when he said those who had their water disconnected in the past were required to pay their July and August charges or levies plus $30,58 reconnection fee.

Concerned residents who called Chronicle newsroom queried the logic behind the reconnection fee.
“This is a Presidential directive and everyone must abide by it. What is the purpose of that reconnection fee?

“Can the Town Clerk tell us why they are doing this when other cities are not?” fumed a woman who identified herself as Mrs Dube from Magwegwe.

“It appears Mr Nyoni is angry with implementing this directive and is taking it personal. This is a Government directive and council should implement it whole heartedly.

“As we speak, numerous houses still do not have water after they were disconnected over debts. Can Mr Nyoni tell us where such people will get the $30 reconnection fee?”

Another resident who identified himself as Mr Ncube from Nkulumane said demanding a reconnection fee was an attempt to defy the Government directive.

“There is no need to demand the reconnection fee from people who have not been having water before June. This fee should apply to disconnections made from July to August,” said Mr Dube.

“We feel this is daylight robbery and Mr Nyoni is trying to run away from the Government directive.
“President Mugabe told us that all debts and penalties should be removed and we are following that. We want council to come out clean on this issue and stop being stubborn.”

Mr Solomon Tshuma from Mpopoma said council should demand the reconnection fee for new debts.

“Our understanding is that reconnection fees should be charged for repeat defaulters. The Government said everyone should start afresh. We see no reason why we are charged $30 for a debt that has been removed,” said Mr Tshuma.

However, the council’s senior public relations officer, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu, said the $30,58 fee was charged after services had been disconnected and was not a new development.

She said the money was used to cover the costs incurred by council workers when visiting individual households to restore services.

“The fee that is charged after services have been disconnected for non-payment amounts to $30,58. This amount is broken down as follows: reconnection fee $10,58 and security deposit of $20,00,” said Mrs Mpofu.

“It should be noted that the security deposit is levied as an offset in the event of future defaults on payment on the part of the consumer.
This is normal practice in most service organisations and is not a new development, but has been applied in Bulawayo for many years.”

Contacted for comment, Bulawayo United Residents Association (Bura) chairman Mr Winos Dube said council should not have hard feelings about implementing the directive.

“To me it sounds as if council is in pain about this thing. Council should simply encourage residents to pay their bills timeously and not threaten them. Why is council threatening legal action?” said Mr Dube.

“All along the reconnection fee was $10 and why $30 now. This is disappointing. People feel threatened and we are querying that.
“If council has challenges it should approach the Government and not put its frustration on residents.”

Mr Dube encouraged the residents to support council by paying their bills on time in order to get adequate service delivery.
“I encourage all ratepayers to pay their bills. I know challenges are still there but let us try our level best to ensure that we do not accrue huge debts again,” he said.

“Paying our debts will ensure that we get good service from council. Ngiyakhuthaza let everyone show appreciation to Government by paying bills on time.”

Mr Nyoni has said council has already billed ratepayers the July to September charges and that it would start issuing out bills reflecting the cancellation of bills as from 16 September.

For convenience purposes council has encouraged residents to pay using EcoCash, Biller Code 14969.
The Government has also urged councils to update residents on the progress regarding the writing off of debts in accordance with the directive.

The Government directed councils just before the 31 July harmonised elections to write off residents’ debts accumulated between February 2009 and 30 June this year.