Flawed BCC Billing Causing Residents Untold Suffering

Press Release

Date:              18 March 2013

Contact:         Emmanuel Ndlovu

                       Programmes and Advocacy Manager

                       Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA)

FLAWED BCC BILLING SYSTEM CAUSING RESIDENTS UNTOLD SUFFERING

BULAWAYO Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) is concerned that the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) continues to use estimates to bill residents, something which has led to residents being overbilled, causing numerous problems for them. Speaking at service delivery meetings held by BPRA in the past month, residents of Bulawayo have complained that their bills were sky rocketing despite the fact that a three day water shedding programme is currently in effect in the city. Residents argued that the BCC meter readings as captured in their billing system were ahead of the readings that the residents’ meters actually show in their homes. This means that BCC has been billing residents for water they have not consumed. This has particularly raised the ire of residents since some have been charged with water penalties while others have even had their properties seized based on estimated water readings. Others have had their water supplies disconnected.

BPRA thus calls upon the BCC to immediately put measures in place to put its billing system in order, perhaps through investing in more meter readers and desisting from estimated readings. BPRA has it on good authority that the city fathers themselves are aware of the flaws in their billing system, hence it amounts to dereliction of duty that the situation is being allowed to continue unaddressed at the expense of the residents of Bulawayo. Officials from the local authority’s department of finance last year acknowledged that the billing system was prone to overcharging consumers and suggested that residents with misgivings about their bills should feel free to visit their offices at the tower block.

BPRA is however appalled that BCC has made no efforts to inform residents of this anomaly, continuing to behave like its business as usual with residents in arrears (based on the faulty billing system) being charged penalties, having their water supplies disconnected and having their properties seized by the messenger of court. BPRA would like to call upon BCC to stop water disconnections, charging of penalties, and seizing of properties from residents with arrears until problems with the billing system are addressed. BPRA also calls upon the local authority, through its public relations department, to ensure that residents are informed that the city’s billing system is problematic so that they can ensure that they are not billed for water they have not consumed.

Signed

.........................................................

Mr Emmanuel Ndlovu

Programmes and Advocacy Manager

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA)

BPRA Past Weekend Activities Report (9 and 10 March 2013)

Posted on 11 March 2013

THIS past weekend (09 &10 March 2013), Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) held three consultative meetings in Pumula South (Ward 27), Gwabalanda (Ward 16) and Njube (ward 12). The meetings were meant to provide platforms for residents to engage in dialogue with representatives from Bulawayo City Council (BCC) and the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) on pertinent issues of service delivery related to the operations of the institutions. ZESA representatives however did not attend the meetings. The meeting in Pumula South was held on Saturday 9 March 2013 and was attended by the councillor for the ward, Siboniso Khumalo and eighty three residents (38 Females and 45 Males).  The one in Gwabalanda was also held on Saturday 9 March 2013 and was graced by the councillor for ward 15, Israel Mabaleka and attended by 78 residents (32 Males and 46 Females). Lastly the meeting held in Njube on Sunday 10 March 2013 was attended by 112 residents (80 Females and 32 Males). The councillor for the ward was not present, but the meeting went ahead as planned with residents voicing their concerns on service delivery issues.

The main issues discussed at the three meetings were as follows:

·         

Bulawayo’s water crisis inevitably dominated discussions at all the meetings. Residents demanded to know if there were any plans to build new dams in Bulawayo. They argued that Bulawayo’s water woes were due to lack of vision by successive governments and local authorities since independence. They said it was inevitable for the city to face water shortages since there had been no dam built since 1976. Residents also expressed concerns with the fact that Bulawayo’s water chemicals are running out. They called upon BCC to resolve the issue immediately to make sure that residents have access to clean drinking water.

·         Residents once again alleged that the local authority’s water billing system was flawed as they continued to receive high bills despite water shedding for 3 days a week. Some of the residents revealed that their meter readings were not in-sync with readings at BCC. They said this was an indication that residents were being fleeced by use of estimates. They called upon BCC to invest in meter readers and refrain from estimated readings.

·          Concerns were raised that BCC was continuing to attach and seize the properties of some residents with arrears. Residents said while they understood that this was the legal route to take, they believed that BCC was being inconsiderate by failing to understand that the country’s economic situation was dire thus residents genuinely cannot afford to pay their dues. They implored the local authority to allow residents to make payment plans as opposed to seizing their properties.

·         Residents also complained about the poor state of roads in Bulawayo. They said the situation could lead to increase in road carnage as motorists often flout traffic regulations in an attempt to avoid pot holes.

·         Lastly, residents bemoaned the failure by BCC to collect refuse on a weekly basis as used to be the case yesteryear. They said it was imperative for the local authority to refocus its attention to service delivery as opposed to staff salaries.

Regards

Information Department

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association

Bus. Tel: +263 9 61196

Cell: +263 772 516 729

Blog: bprainfo.blogspot.com

Website: www.bulawayoresidents.org

Press Release - BPRA Lobbies Anti-Corruption Commission on BEAM and HSCTP

Press Release

Date:              28 February 2013

Contact:         Emmanuel Ndlovu

                        Programmes and Advocacy Manager

                        Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA)

BPRA Lobbies Anti-Corruption Commission on BEAM and HSCTP

BULAWAYO Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) has written to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission requesting investigations into the administration of the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM)and the Harmonised Social Cash Transfer Programme (HSCTP). The investigations are meant to put to rest allegations of underhand dealings and corruption in the administration of the two programmes within the broader goal of promoting transparency and accountability in the operations of public institutions. The HSCTP is a social welfare project that is operated by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and aims at poverty alleviation through financial support to households living in extreme poverty. Meanwhile BEAM is a social welfare programme, operated by the same ministry that supports poor and vulnerable children with their education.

Investigations carried out by BPRA in 2012 in the six wards (ward 8, ward 14, ward 18, ward 19, ward 27 and ward 28) where the pilot phase of the HSCTP is in place revealed irregularities in the administration of the project with intended beneficiaries alleging that they were being fleeced of their handouts. Meanwhile residents of Bulawayo have previously complained that BEAM was not reaching the intended beneficiaries, with school heads, influential teachers and School Development Committees (SDC) members allegedly using their influence to enlist their kith and kin who do not need educational assistance.   

In the two letters, dated 26 February 2013 and addressed to the General Manager of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, BPRA requested investigations into the HSCTP and BEAM to ensure transparency and accountability in the operations of the two programmes in order to ensure that they adequately benefit the intended beneficiaries –underprivileged and vulnerable people. In a response to the letters today (28 February 2013), the  Anti-Corruption Commission wrote “Thank you for sending this vital information to us. Please note that you report will get the necessary attention and look forward to hearing from us soon.”

Please find attached copies of the letters that BPRA sent to the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Signed

.........................................................

Mr Emmanuel Ndlovu

Programmes and Advocacy Manager

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA)