BCC divided over credit policy

BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) executives and councillors are divided over the implementation of a credit policy that will see the municipality taking residents with outstanding bills to court.

The council executives are pushing for the local authority to introduce a credit policy but city fathers are reluctant to pass the policy into law, said a senior council official who preferred not to be named.

He said the policy would ensure that residents pay their debts or risk prosecution.

"Already council is struggling with service delivery as residents are not paying bills. The council is owed $150 million to date. The credit policy will see council suing those who don't pay bills," said the council source.

"Councillors seem reluctant to adopt the policy. We're heading towards elections and such a policy threatens their re-election, hence councillors do not want the council to adopt it."

In an interview, the city's Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube, said the credit policy could be the solution for council in dealing with defaulting rate payers.

"We will be able to take those who owe the council to court. Interchangeably, we will be disconnecting water supplies to those residents if they fail to show commitment to paying their bills" said Mr Dube.

He could not reveal when the policy could be implemented saying there were technical issues that need to be resolved.

Acting Mayor, councillor for Ward 28 Collet Ndlovu said the issue has not been tabled before a full council meeting, which is the municipality's highest decision making body.

"How are we going to introduce the policy when it's clear that residents are not employed? What we can only do at the moment is to encourage them to pay," he said.

Clr Ndlovu dismissed the suggestion that councillors feared losing their seats, saying residents have to endorse the policy for it to sail through.

"In Bulawayo if we want to introduce any policy we consult the rate payers. If they reject it there is no way we could introduce it. As leaders we saw it fit that consultations are not necessary because we are aware that residents are not paying and complain of joblessness," he said.