The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has urged residents to attend budget consultation meetings as their participation is important in deciding particular issues that they wish the council to take priority.
Bongiwe Ngwenya, BCC Public Relations Officer, said it is important for residents to attend budget consultation meetings in their respective wards in order to present their views to councillors.
“We want residents to come up with priorities, what they want us to prioritise depending on their wards,” said Ngwenya.
She stated the budget consultation process will begin at the end of September.
“Since councillors have been elected they will spearhead the budget consultation meetings in their wards, we urge all residents to participate,” said Ngwenya.
Ngwenya also encouraged women and young people to attend the meetings.
“The budget consultation meetings are gender sensitive this is why we work with various organisations such as the Women Institute Leadership for Development (WILD) to encourage women and young people to be part of the budget meetings,” she said.
Ngwenya explained that the budget consultation process is a budget review of the city, it is done in June every year and towards the end of the year.
“We review what the council has done for the first six months of the year, show the residents and they air their views about what they are happy and unhappy about. They are also allowed to suggest what they want to be done for the next year,” she said.
Ngwenya added that they have made provisions for the meetings to be broadcast live via live-streaming for the benefit of those who cannot attend the meetings.
