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Residents to take ZESA to court - Residents' Voices Issue 16
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association
May 13, 2010

Residents to take ZESA to court

Bulawayo residents are threatening to take the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) to court for public interest litigation. The reasons being that for far too long residents have been paying fixed bills of US$27 for high density dwellers, while those residing in low density suburbs part with a minimum of US$40. Whether or not, electricity is available during the 24 hour period is inconsequential to the parastatal which demands that residents settle their bills or face disconnection. This comes at a time when the parastatal has no meters to ascertain consumption levels and is basing on suppositions and assumptions. Electricity is only available for six to eight hours a day, while in most cases faults emanating from erratic power cuts often take ages to get fixed. Meanwhile in an attempt to portray a good international image ZESA has pledged to contribute electricity to South Africa during the FIFA 2010 World Cup to be held from 10 June to 11 July 2010. This has left residents foreseeing worse and more erratic electricity load shedding. For some, the hope of watching live matches has been killed. Currently, each residential area has a single day which is not affected by load shedding.

Furore over worsening water crisis

Bulawayo residents have expressed discontentment over looming water rationing at a time when the city council is about to decommission two major supply dams in Matabeleland. The Bulawayo City Council intends on decommissioning Upper Ncema and Umzingwane dams in July 2010. The decommissioning which was meant to have taken precedence was suspended after the late March rains. Residents suggested that the council should make use of other dams that are lying idle. The city council requires $56 million to construct outlets from the dead waters to refill the dams currently in use but has since received only $7 million from the ministry of finance. Residents have implored the local government to improvise and secure adequate resources. Residents have also challenged the council on its course on water rationing stating that the council cannot resort to water rationing as the ultimate solution while it is failing to fix faults that have led to the loss of huge quantities of water. For example the council took almost two years to fix a water leakage emanating from a pump burst in Emganwini. Residents also passed complaints about the city council's billing system alleging that the authorities use dysfunctional meter readers forcing them to estimate bills. Residents said that this reflects a gross mismanagement crisis, poor administration, misplaced priorities and negligence of the local authority. Residents issued these sentiments at a meeting that was hosted by BPRA at Emganwini last Sunday, on May 9, 2010.

Residents shun ZBC2

A new television station, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC2), will be broadcast to cities that are at an 8km radius from Harare. Residents have castigated this move saying it is a way of further discriminating and marginalizing other regions as many citizens will not benefit from this station. Instead of dwelling on how unreasonable and unnecessary it is to have a second television station when the initial one is dysfunctional, residents have said that they will continue to clamour for a new people driven constitution. Bulawayo residents have said that it is due to such unfair distribution of resources that they call for devolution of powers in the country. ZBC1 does not represent citizens equally let alone proportionally, hence there is no guarantee that this new station will be of any difference. Seeing as how Zimbabweans anticipate fresh elections, some have pointed out that this could merely be a political expedience.

Council's closure of beer halls unwelcome by residents

In the past residents have been restricted from accessing recreational facilities like halls, play grounds and youth centers by the city council. This time the city council has conducted a shutdown of 16 beer halls in most of Bulawayo's high density suburbs. Concerned Bulawayo residents have said that the city council's move will have serious negative implications in different societies. The closure of these facilities will lead to an increase in criminal activities and cases of public drinking. Most residents would rather unwind at beer halls as they do not have to send on transport fares and beer is cheaper. Residents have said that these recreation centers have been of use to burial societies, vendors and other social clubs. The shutting down of beer halls has been seen as a sign that BCC is failing to live up to its expectations. Residents have said that one of the reasons why city councils are failing to deliver is because the government has neglected local authorities. Without sufficient support in resources from central government, city councils will not operate effectively instead councils will be forced to handover or renounce some of their responsibilities. Bulawayo City Council was responsible for employing not less than 4 000 employees, thereby reducing numbers of the unemployed. At the present moment council has the capacity to employ 1 500 employees only. The closure of facilities such as beer halls/ gardens means that most employees will lose their jobs and council is set to lose on income generated from the sale of beer.

To commemorate this year's World Environment Day, BPRA will host a clean up campaign in collaboration with other organizations operating in the city. The campaign will run under the theme "Many people. One future, One Bulawayo. Keep Bulawayo Clean!" The clean up will be held on Saturday 5 June 2010 at the Basch Street Terminus (Egodini).

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