WATCH: Eight councillors sworn into office

EIGHT newly elected Bulawayo councillors were yesterday sworn into office after taking oath before the city Mayor Councillor David Coltart.

Among the newly elected councillors are Zanu-PF members, musician Cde Sandra Ndebele-Sibindi (Ward 20), businessman Tavengwa Zidya (Ward 24) and Josiah Mutangi (Ward 1).

Other elected members include some who were recalled by the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) leading to the December 9 by-elections. These are Mr Donaldson Mabutho (Ward 9), Mr Felix Madzana (Ward 18), Ms Thobeka Mmeli Moyo (Ward 22), Mr Tinevimbo Maposa (Ward 21) and Nkosinathi Hove Mpofu (Ward 6).

Clr Coltart congratulated the eight for joining the council and urged them to be patriotic and shun corruption.

“It is a great honour to have you serve this great city. Unfortunately, you had to be elected under such circumstances where you had to go through the same process again,” he said.

“There have been some changes of course. There is a new deputy mayor and some of the heads of department have been shifted and we have to address such issues.”

Clr Coltart said the main focus of the council was to address the water situation bedevilling the city.

“We have a great task at hand and it needs all hands on the deck. We have a water crisis, which is affecting all of us hence we need to work as a collective,” he said.

The new councillors come at a time when the city has become a pale shadow of its former self. Bulawayo is facing several challenges which include poor solid waste management, poor road network and illegal vending among others.

The chaos in the city centre is unparalleled as illegal vendors have invaded some of the streets thereby affecting the smooth running of formal businesses.

The city has been trying to address the issue of litter, which has become the order of the day while some sections of the city have been heavily congested.

In September this year, the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) said the incoming councillors should align the city’s development agenda to the Government’s economic blueprint, the National Development Strategy 1 (2021-2025).

Residents said the election of new councillors should bring new ideas in shaping the city’s development trajectory.

“BPRA, thus believes we should work towards addressing the deplorable state of service provision in Bulawayo so that it becomes a leading, smart and transformative city. Bulawayo has perennial water challenges that can only be dealt with under the stewardship of innovative and critically thinking leaders who will look into solving these hurdles through short and long-term solutions,” reads the statement.

BPRA said residents need to be briefed on the accurate status concerning the construction of the Egodini Mall project.

The association said the incoming councillors need to present solutions on waste management and address sewer bursts in most western suburbs.

BPRA also called the new councillors to come up with strategies that will result in an effective refuse collection system that will restore the city to its former glory as the cleanest city in southern Africa.

It said the council needs to address the thorny issue of estimated bills, which BPRA said could be contributing to some of the residents’ failure to pay bills.

BPRA said BCC should make its public procurement processes transparent and weed out alleged corruption while harnessing opportunities that come through public-private partnerships.

The organisation said developing alternative revenue streams is critical in lessening the burden of residents while urging the council to be transparent with its budget systems and ensure that they are gender sensitive.