Two urgent issues dominated Bulawayo City Council proceedings this week, a crippling car shortage that is seriously impeding service delivery and the growing problem of illegal dumping and littering caused by insufficient sanctions.
During Wednesday’s full council meeting, councillors demanded quick adjustments to Bulawayo’s severely broken procurement mechanisms and sanctions as a result of the twin disasters.
The discussion on public cleanliness began with Councillor Melisa Mabeza expressing concern over the heavy littering caused by illegal vending activities.
Councillor Octavius Dumisani Nkomo strongly concurred, noting that existing fines were failing as a deterrent and suggested a dramatic review, noting in other cities the fine is US$100.
“In other Cities like the City of Victoria Falls, littering fines were pegged at US$100. The same should apply in the City,” Nkomo said.
Councillor Mmeli Thobeka Moyo supported this motion and proposed establishing community enforcement teams across all wards to ensure compliance.
Mayor, Senator David Coltart reinforced the necessity of higher fines, citing a recent incident where a local businessman caught dumping refuse along Cecil Avenue paid a mere $30 fine, which was not deterrent enough.
He argued that this nominal amount was far below the dumping fees at the official Landfill Site, encouraging illegal activity.
The Mayor proposed that fines should be raised up to US$300 per tonne on trucks dumping and littering the City to make the penalty meaningful.
Shifting focus, the meeting turned to the dire state of the Council’s fleet, as highlighted by Councillor Aleck Ndlovu.
The department owns 20 vehicles, but a shocking 12 were reported to be in the workshop, leaving only eight operational.
Councillor Ndlovu inquired whether the Council’s vehicle workshops were sufficiently equipped to deal with the required repairs, noting that some vehicles were grounded for minor faults that required only small spare parts.
“Are these Council workshops equipped enough to deal with the Council fleet,”he asked.
The Mayor confirmed the shortage, attributing the long turnaround times not to the capacity of the workshops themselves, but to systemic failures.
He highlighted that in past years, Council would purchase and stock motor vehicle spares, which ensured vehicles were not grounded for extended periods.
“The current challenge in Council workshops emanated from procurement,” the Mayor stated.
He added that the procurement processes had so many challenges that affected service delivery. He assured the Council that efforts were underway to acquire and stock the necessary motor vehicle spares to expedite repairs.
Councillor Sikhululekile Moyo concluded the debate by explaining that all concerns regarding the fines were noted and legal advice would be sought immediately on reviewing the illegal dumping and littering fines upwards.