Alert – More Residents Lose Property to BCC

Date: 29 May 2013

NINE more residents will on Friday 31 May 2013 lose their properties at the behest of the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) with properties including freezers, refrigerators, television sets, lounge suites, stoves and microwaves expected to be auctioned to recover the monies that the residents owe the local authority. According to an advertisement placed by the Messenger of Court in the  Chronicle Newspaper today (29 May 2013),  the properties go under the hammer at CIPF Complex along Khami Road opposite Monarch Steel at 9am. Another 17 residents had their properties similarly auctioned on 17 May 2013, barely two weeks ago. This brings the total number of residents who have lost their properties to BCC during the month of May to 26. This is despite a directive by the Ministry of Local Government, Urban and Rural Development prohibiting the local authority from auctioning the properties of residents to recover debts.

Bulawayo residents have expressed dismay with the local authority for being insensitive to their  plight with accusations that the city fathers were being malicious as they were seizing residents’ properties on the basis of a faulty billing system. BCC officials have on numerous occasions acknowledged that the city’s billing system was faulty and encouraged residents with misgivings about their bills to approach the local authority. However the information has never been adequately communicated to residents. Calls by the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) for BCC to stop seizing of properties until the billing system has been rectified have fallen on deaf ears, with the local authority continuing with the practice.   

BPRA is concerned that the city council continues to disconnect water, charge penalties and seize the properties of residents on the basis of a faulty billing system. Residents have complained that there are discrepancies between the meter reading records at Tower Block and the actual metre readings in their homes. BPRA sees it as scandalous that BCC has the audacity to auction the properties of residents in arrears when it is cognisant of the fact that its billing system is defective.

BPRA thus once again calls upon the BCC to immediately put measures in place to put its billing system in order. BPRA believes the local authority should stop water disconnections, charging of water penalties and auctioning of residents’ properties until problems with its billing system are rectified. It should also, through its Public Relations Department and information centre, ensure that residents are informed of the fact that the city’s billing system is problematic so that they can ensure that they are not billed for water they have not consumed. Meanwhile, the association is in the process of engaging with the Ministry of Local Governance in an attempt to bring an end to this situation.

Regards

Information Department

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association

Bus. Tel: +263 9 61196

Cell: +263 772 516 729

Blog: www.bprainfo.blogspot.com

www.bulawayoresidents.org

Alert - CSOs Host Elections Debate Meeting

Residents follow proceedings at the debate meeting held on
Saturday 11 May 2013 at the Large City Hall

FIVE Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) based in Bulawayo, namely Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA), Bulawayo Agenda, the National Youth Development Trust (NYDT), Habakkuk Trust and the Women Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) last Saturday (11 May 2013) hosted an Elections Debate meeting featuring the major political parties in the country. Participating political parties included the Morgan Tsvangirai led MDC-T, the Welshman Ncube led MDC, ZAPU, Mavambo/Kusile and ZANU PF. The debate meeting was meant to provide a platform for leaders of the political parties to debate critical issues and also provide a platform for them to discuss their policies with residents. More than 500 residents graced the meeting which was held at the Large City Hall.

The debate meeting was divided into three segments – a women’s sessions featuring women’s league representatives from the political parties, a youth session featuring youth wing representatives from the parties and the main session featuring the spokespersons of the political parties. Critical issues discussed included the role of the youth and women in the country’s political processes and how best the two groups can be included, timing of elections, how ready the political parties are for elections and what they promise to deliver should they be elected into power. There were also plenary sessions where residents got the opportunity to scrutinize the political parties’ policies.

Political party speakers participate in discussions during
the meeting

The hosting of the debate meeting was premised on a belief by the five host organisations that there is need for increased interaction between citizens and political leaders in order to ensure accountability and transparency in the conduct of public officials. The rationale was also to increase debate on critical issues in order to promote understanding and tolerance among people with different political views. The five organisations will continue hosting similar meetings under the banner of the “Citizen Election Series.” The meetings would essentially be aimed at ensuring that people vote from an informed position, promoting peace and harmony during the election period and promoting accountable governance.

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

Alert - BPRA Weekend Activities (5 May 2013)

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association  (BPRA) will be holding three consultative meetings this Sunday (5 May 2013) in Iminyela  (Ward 13), Magwegwe North and West (Ward 29)  and Luveve  (ward 15). The consultative  meetings are meant to provide platforms for residents engage in critical dialogue on pertinent issues of service delivery and local governance with representatives from Bulawayo City Council (BCC), councillors, members of Child Protection Committees (CPC) and members of parliament. In Iminyela, the member of parliament, Samuel Sandla Khumalo is expected to appraise residents on how he used the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) in the area. In Luveve, the councillor, Israel Mabaleka is expected to respond to concerns by residents in the areas of water delivery, the state of roads in Bulawayo, refuse collection and other operations of BCC. In Magwegwe, the councillor is also expected to be present to appraise residents on operations of the local authority.

WEEKEND ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE

DATE	WARD	TIME	VENUE	ISSUES
05/05/2013	13	2pm	Iminyela Hall	Housing Constituency Development  Fund Councillor
05/05/2013	29	2pm	Church of Christ	Child Protection Committee Councillor
05/05/2013	15	10am	Beit Hall	Councillor Child Protection Committee

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