Zim GBC News | Innocent Sibonginkosi Ncube
BULAWAYO – Councillors at the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) are demanding an urgent and comprehensive overhaul of the local authority’s aging information technology infrastructure, warning that expired software licences and outdated systems are crippling service delivery and haemorrhaging revenue.
The concerns, detailed in the latest council report, have sparked intense debate, with officials highlighting how lapses in critical systems force a return to inefficient manual processes.
At the heart of the crisis is the expiry of licences for core systems, including the AS400 platform used for billing and administration. Councillor Mxolisi Mahlangu warned that such disruptions have a direct and severe impact on council operations.
“Council should acquire a system that integrates most of its functions. We should upgrade our IT systems, go paperless and adopt a coordinated online platform,” said Clr. Mahlangu.
He urged the council to engage a single, reliable service provider to ensure timely licence renewals.
The operational fallout is significant. When systems go offline, billing processes stall, revenue collection is delayed, and staff are forced to rely on slow, error-prone manual methods. Councillors noted that such failures have previously led to substantial financial losses for the city.
Echoing the call for modernisation, Ward 26 councillor and committee chairperson Mpumelelo Moyo cautioned that the technical failures ultimately hurt residents.
“Licence expirations could have a direct impact on service delivery across the city,” he stated.
Councillor Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu questioned the Council’s continued reliance on its current Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system given its limitations.
Meanwhile, Councillor Mmeli Moyo proposed a structural solution, arguing for the upgrade of the ICT section into a fully-fledged department to drive innovation and efficiency.
In response to the Councillors’ pressing concerns, Assistant Financial Director Mr. Isaac Matare revealed the severity of the current constraints. He stated that the council is currently operating on severely limited access while awaiting licence renewals.
“Council has continued to use the BIQ system because of the astronomical costs associated with other licences,” Mr. Matare explained.
He cited instances where other local authorities that migrated to alternative systems failed to generate water bills, prompting government advice to revert to the BIQ platform, which consolidates most council functions.
Mr. Matare assured Councillors that a dedicated unit within the ICT section is now tasked with managing software licences, and that the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) has authorised the renewal process. He attributed delays to procurement regulations designed to ensure a fair and competitive bidding process.
Town Clerk Mr. Christopher Dube confirmed that management is actively considering a major restructuring. A proposal is on the table to create a new Corporate Services Department that would encompass all technical services, including ICT.
“A tender for the job evaluation process is currently in progress,” Mr. Dube said, noting that the creation of a new department hinges on this government-directed evaluation.
The Council now faces mounting pressure to find a sustainable solution that balances severe budgetary constraints with the critical need for a modern, reliable digital infrastructure to serve Bulawayo’s residents.
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