admin
Temba Dube Senior Reporter
THE Government yesterday warned the Bulawayo City Council against opposing its directive to totally write off bills that have been accumulated by residents in the last four years. The city partially implemented the directive as it did not cancel charges relating to water.
Water charges form the bulk of the money that council is owed by residents.
The Government announced just before the 31 July harmonised elections that the country’s 92 local authorities should cancel debts accrued by residents between February 2009 and 30 June this year.
In an interview yesterday, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development, Mr Killian Mupingo said the directive was not negotiable and said all the money the residents owed council up to 30 June should be written off.
“We expect nothing short of compliance. Those who say they cannot implement the directive because it would disrupt service delivery should know that the Government did not issue the order blindly. If you find yourself opposing the directive because you foresee problems in future, then you are turning yourself into an entity that is above Government,” said Mr Mupingo.
He said the Government was responding to a real crisis facing citizens when it ordered councils to write off residents’ debts.
“Those who are facing challenges should raise the issue through the proper channels,” said Mr Mupingo.
He said his Ministry was waiting for a progress report on Bulawayo City Council’s compliance from Provincial Administrator Mrs Khonzani Ncube.
“That would guide us as to the next step in dealing with the matter,” said Mr Mupingo.
Mrs Ncube chairs the committee that is in charge of monitoring implementation of the directive.
Council is scheduled to meet Mrs Ncube today to give its progress report.
Contacted for comment, the chairperson of the Bulawayo United Residents Association Mr Winos Dube said his organisation was consulting Government over the issue.
“Council has told us that there is nothing in the directive that instructs them to cancel water charges. The President (Mugabe) said bills should be written off. Water is what makes up council bills. Actually it is the cause of these huge amounts residents owe council,” said Mr Dube.
He said he had asked council why it was not complying fully with the directive like other local authorities and was told that in Bulawayo every item of service delivery on the bill was shown and charged separately unlike in other cities.
“They said other cities cancelled everything because they could not separate the charges. If other cities are complying, what is so special about Bulawayo?” asked Mr Dube.
Council’s senior public relations officer Mrs Nesisa Mpofu had not responded to questions sent to her regarding the matter by the time of going to Press.
In an interview recently, the Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development, Dr Ignatius Chombo, said the directive covered every item on councils’ bills.
He said the Government would not hesitate to fire any official or councillor who failed to comply with the directive.
Online Reporter