Bulawayo residents have urged the local authority to prioritise sewer services in the proposed 2022 budget.
BCC unveiled a proposed budget of ZWL$25 billion for 2022. However, residents have rejected the proposed budget.
The 2022 priority services are water, health, sewerage, housing, roads, education, public lighting, social services, and fire and ambulances.
Making contributions during the virtual budget consultation meetings last week, the residents lamented the slow pace at which the council was attending to sewer bursts.
“Every time we try to report sewer bursts; it’s either BCC plumbers don’t pick up calls or when we report at Mabuthweni they don’t even attend,” said one resident.
The resident said residents in Old Magwegwe can go for about two weeks with flowing sewer, “at times we have sewer running inside our houses making it difficult for people to even use toilets.”
The residents also implored the local authority to use chemicals to eliminate the odour from the overflowing sewer.
Another resident added that there is a need to capacitate and empower youths so that they can also be able to fix sewer blockages.
“At times BCC plumbers do not attend to sewer blockages, as a youth in Pumula is there no way to empower us with skills so that you cut costs,” said a participant.
“The sewer engineering department can teach us, help us get the equipment needed so that we can always fix the sewer blockages.”
Another resident in ward 21, said the sewer bursts in Tshabalala are worsening.
However, speaking at one of the WhatsApp group meetings, BCC procurement manager, Mlungelwa Khumalo said the City Council has engaged three contractors to help clear the backlog on sewer bursts and the engineers are working tirelessly to clear chocked sewers.
