'Bulawayo worst city in Africa' - BCC reacts

THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has scoffed at a controversial report claiming that the local authority is the worst in Africa.

The report alleged that Zimbabwe's second largest city is "the lowest city in Africa in terms of housing, governance, infrastructure and the environment".

According to the BBC, the findings are contained in a survey report by a Swiss organisation Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne. But BCC senior public relations officer Nesisa Mpofu punched holes at the contentious report. 

The report was also ridiculed and rejected by some sections of Zimbabweans on Twitter.

"Our understanding of the report is that Bulawayo was ranked 60th in Africa," Mpofu told The Citizen Bulletin Friday.

"Furthermore we are aware that there are more than 60 cities in Africa."

Recently, a government official revealed that Bulawayo was the best run local authority in Zimbabwe. The city has also in the past been ranked as one of the cleanest cities in the continent.

The Citizen Bulletin was not able to verify the authenticity of the report; neither did the publication get a copy of the study since it was not readily available online.

BCC officials also said they had not gleaned the report.

"The City of Bulawayo has not been able to get a copy of the research as yet and as such cannot comment on the ranking without having read the full report.

"Furthermore, we do not know the methodology used in the study and therefore [we] have no comment," the local authority said in a statement emailed to The Citizen Bulletin. 

BBC Africa did not confirm where the publication got the disputable report.