Councillors on warpath

Another councillor said if council used “mafia” tactics of ambushing home seekers with shocking cash demands, the city’s housing waiting list, which is said to be more than 100 000, would continue to increase.
“Councillors are the policy makers. It is up to us to ensure that policies are put in place to protect the interests of residents who desperately need homes, by not imposing conditions that put housing out of the reach of the majority. I am happy that we were able to get this meeting postponed,” said the councillor.

 

Contacted for comment, Clr Moyo confirmed that the meeting was cancelled.
“There are a number of reasons why the meeting had to be cancelled. You have to carry out your own investigations to get them all. I was not there because I had to attend a meeting in Harare, but I believe one of the reasons was that it was too close to the date of the full council meeting to be held tomorrow,” said Clr Moyo.
He said councillors still stood by their decision that no one would lose a stand just because they failed to raise the required deposit.

The city’s senior public relations officer, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu, had not responded to questions by the end of the day yesterday.
Bulawayo’s director of housing and community services, Mr Isaiah Magagula is expected to give a report on the stands issue at the full council meeting tomorrow.
Councillors have been on the warpath ever since it was reported that council was demanding deposits of up to $4 200 in three days from desperate home seekers.

Last week, the mayor, Councillor Thaba Moyo, said there was no council resolution that authorised the city to adopt a new practice on deposits for stands.
Council used to ask for a 35 percent deposit on the value of a stand, payable in three weeks after the offer for a stand was made. The balance was payable over 18 months.

The new system calls for more than half the money in three days. Clr Moyo said the new system was ridiculous and unfair as it disadvantaged home seekers, some of whom had been on the housing waiting list for more than 15 years.