BCC owed over ZWL$200bn

Zim Now Writer

The Bulawayo City Mayor, David Coltart said the BCC is owed over ZWL$200 billion by consumers as of the end of August, impacting its ability to deliver essential services.

This follows the council’s plan to disconnect water services to nearly 60 percent of schools in the city as part of an intensified debt recovery effort due to unpaid property taxes and service fees.

The BCC has only been receiving 40 percent of the monthly billed charges, causing financial strain on the local authority.

The debt recovery strategy could result in schools without access to alternative water sources like boreholes being forced to close, particularly when preparing for final examinations.

The disconnection will affect consumers, including schools, who are defaulting in their bill payments and not responding to engagement efforts.

While water disconnection is a last resort in the debt collection process, the BCC emphasises that it is enforcing existing policies and by-laws to ensure compliance. The council has employed various strategies to engage with consumers and notify them of their indebtedness before disconnection.

A spokesperson of the Primary and Secondary Education Ministry expressed concern that the decision, although a last resort, would affect some schools with no alternative water sources.

Bulawayo has a total of 146 primary schools and 57 secondary schools.