Bulawayo Mayor Senator David Coltart has challenged the city council to look into strategies to augment income from rates and Government handouts, for improved service delivery to residents.
According to the latest council report, the Mayor said the local authority was delivering below-par service to residents due to financial challenges.
“He reported on the water crisis the City was facing. He acknowledged that council was facing financial challenges and had not delivered services to the expectations of residents. There was need to find alternative funding to complement rates and other fiscal transfers from Central Government,” read the report.
Sen Coltart noted the ballooning debtors’ figure and encouraged residents to pay rates.
The Bulawayo City Council runs the once-thriving Aisleby Farm which seems to have gone idle and has land and buildings that could be run commercially to raise revenue for the city.
Councillors also have the power to enact by-laws that can give incentives to businesses to operate in Bulawayo, thereby increasing the rate of employment and enabling residents to be better able to pay bills.
As of 30th November 2023, the debt stood at USD$51 885,668 involving government debt of USD$3, 8 million, USD$15, 8 million industrial and commercial and domestic at USD$32
million.He had also met with the Minister of Lands and Water (Dr. Masuku) and the
Minister of State for Bulawayo (Hon. J. Ncube) and he hoped the discussion would result
in interventionsfor the improvement of water supply.
