BY DOUGLAS NCUBE
Bulawayo youths have suggested that residents should pay ZWL$1 per household to contribute towards acquiring fuel for refuse collection, an idea they think would curb cholera outbreaks in the city.
The youths said this joint venture between the Council and residents was another way which could produce good results and improve service delivery in the city.
This comes at a time when the Bulawayo City Council Monday, announced that they would be an interruption in the collection of refuse owing to fuel shortages.
According to the public notice areas likely to be affected include Makokoba, Riverside, Sunninghill, Waterford, Selbourne Park North, Manningdale, Hillcrest, Highmount, Harrisvale, Richmond, Trenance, Sauerstown and Belmont Industrial area.
“Where I stay we have about 2 640 houses and I believe a sum of ZWL$2 640 is enough to cover the cost of fuel for the whole month,” said Sanele Moyo, a youth in Bulawayo who expressed concern over lack of creative minds within the Council.
The youths acknowledged that the economic hardships hampered the Council to effectively play their service delivery role and urged Bulawayo residents to assist where they can.
“If you take a look at the monthly house statement from city council you will realise that the money each household pays towards refuse collection is not enough to buy even 500ml of fuel,” said another youth, Musawenkosi Mpofu.
He highlighted that residents have, on several occasions, rejected the city council’s proposals to hike rates in a bid to improve the service delivery.
However, some youths downplayed this idea saying that the problem emanates from poor governance and corruption within the city council.
“They is organized corruption going on within BCC because it is said that the government took back the money for devolution and maybe it’s because of failure to run the affairs of the city,” said Stanley Moyo, a youth secretary for Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association.
The youths said the residents do not need to pump out extra cash as they feared the city council would fail to manage the funds in the long run.
“If individuals can come up with means to fuel their personal cars are you seriously telling me that a wing of governance like the local authority cannot sit down and come up with a solution to get fuel,” said Xolani Ncube.
