Innocent Sibonginkosi Ncube<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Bulawayo Councilors have called for an immediate stop to the seizure of residents’ properties over outstanding bills, citing a chaotic billing system that is causing hardships for residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a recent full council meeting, Councilors expressed concerns about the City’s billing system, which they say is flawed and leading to higher bills for residents, despite acute water shortages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The billing system is chaotic, and residents are paying the price,” said Ward 13 Councillor Susan Sithole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I have received numerous complaints from my constituency about ever-increasing water bills, despite the city being under a 120-hour water-shedding program. How can we justify these bills when taps are dry?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ward Six Councillor Nkosilathi Hove added, “It’s unfair to attach residents’ properties for non-payment of bills when our system is flawed. Let’s stop these attachments and put our house in order first. We can’t continue transferring our failures to residents.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Councillor Arshton Mhlanga of Ward 15 emphasized the need for a smart metering system to address the billing anomaly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“At a recent workshop, it was agreed that the City’s billing system doesn’t work. We can’t bill residents for services they never received. Smart metering is the way forward. If water only comes out of the taps for one day, let people pay for that.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Councillors are urging the local authority to adopt a smart metering system, which would measure and monitor water consumption accurately, helping to clear debt and improve revenue collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We need to put our house in order first,” Added Clr Hove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The attachment of properties must immediately be stopped.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The council has announced that it is owed US$50 million by debtors and has resorted to attaching properties to recover the debt, with over 2,000 households having their water supplies disconnected. Councillors are now calling for a more effective solution to address the billing system’s flaws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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