adminVusumuzi Dube Municipal Reporter
THE Bulawayo City Council has rejected a proposal from senior citizens to get special waivers on water tariffs, rates, rents and parking privileges.The local authority is celebrating 120 years this year and will soon be holding a special function with the senior citizens.
In a letter addressed to the council and signed by some of the elderly in the city, they request that senior citizens and pensioners be considered for reduced water tariffs and get free parking discs in the central business district.
“On behalf of the elderly people and senior citizens of Bulawayo we wish to ask City Council to consider the plight of the elderly people, senior citizens, pensioners and retirees, to offer them reduced water tariffs and other related benefits like free parking when they come into town for medication, to pay their utility bills and do shopping.
“As elderly people and retirees, we have serious financial problems and are really struggling to survive, even those on pension, they get meaningless pension allowances that can’t sustain them. Regionally, all countries surrounding our country and abroad do offer special consideration and even pay them old people’s pensions on grounds that they are 60 years and above therefore creating conditions that are conducive,” reads part of the letter.
They note that while some consideration was given to the physically challenged there was now a need for this consideration to be extended to cover all the senior citizens and pensioners.
“We wish to implore city council to treat this matter with the sympathy and urgency it deserves as the burden of life gets heavier for this group of citizens by the day,” reads the letter.
However, according to the latest council report, in response, the local authority threw out the proposal with the chamber secretary, Mrs Sikhangele Zhou, noting that council was also facing challenges of its own.
“While it is true that senior citizens are facing serious financial challenges, Council is also experiencing the same challenges. In view of the foregoing, due diligence must be exercised when dealing with such requests.
“Council once tried to reduce rates for the elderly people who are 65 years and above, it was noted that the numbers were so significant that the budget would not be sustained, hence the decision to uplift the number of years to about 70 years, therefore the current age limit would still suffice,” reads part of Mrs Zhou’s response.
On parking discs, the local authority noted that this must be on merit, with age not being the basis alone for one to get free parking discs.
“Parking fees were relatively affordable and pensioners were not expected to visit the Central Business District area on a daily basis, parking discs should be self–targeting, and those who need them should apply and a policy will be put in place to assist accordingly,” reads the council report.
Commenting on the matter, Bulawayo United Residents Association (BURA) chairperson Mr Winos Dube said the move by the local authority clearly exposed its double standards.
“The elderly are our parents, they have seen it all and for this we must at least show some form of appreciation, we must consider that most of these no longer have any source of income therefore the council must not treat them like any income generating adult.
“While I appreciate that council itself is in a difficult position in terms of financial resources these senior citizens also deserve to be appreciated and considered because frankly the city is here because of them hence naturally such a request should have been given a strong consideration,” said Mr Dube.
Online Reporter