AfricanSeer News and Information Portal: Plans and meetings to save the beleaguered city of kings, Bulawayo

Plans and meetings to save the beleaguered city of kings, Bulawayo
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Jessica W on 29/02/2012 12:25:00


ALTERNATIVE plans to generate revenue for socioeconomic resources in Bulawayo
will be high in the agenda during a meeting set to forge way forward for the
beleaguered city of kings, Bulawayo.
Bulawayo which has not been properly developed since President Mugabe became
leader of independent Zimbabwe is facing serious viability and operational
problems. Last year company closure hot the city and now the Bulawayo city
Council has no money to oil the wheels of a city founded by the legendary
Ndebele king, Mzilikazi.
A group of experts representing residents will today hold a meeting to discuss
ways of helping the Bulawayo City Council to find alternative ways of generating
revenue.
The local authority has in the past been threatening to tighten screws on
ratepayers who are failing to pay bills to meet its revenue deficits. Bulawayo
Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) coordinator Rodrick Fayayo said the
meeting would be held under the theme Alternative funding sources for local
authorities: The case of Bulawayo.
The think-tank will bring together experts, including Dr Eric Bloch, council
leaders, the Institute of Development Studies under the aegis of the National
University of Science and Technology and development scholars from Lupane State
University, he said.
It will be held to discuss strategies that local authorities can utilise to
raise revenue without overburdening residents, most of whom are either earning
salaries below the poverty datum line or unemployed.
Fayayo said BPRA had noted that despite Bulawayo being one of the best-run
cities in the country, service delivery provision by the local authority had
deteriorated over the past 10 years due to difficulties in raising revenue to
finance operations.