Residents warn BCC against subcontracting services

THE BULAWAYO Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) has warned the local authority against plans to subcontract security services in the city saying it would cause problems for the residents and council workers.

The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) recently announced plans to disband the security department and contract a private security company to provide the service. Council claims this will cut labour costs and reduce corruption.

In a letter addressed to the local authority, BPRA chairperson Ambrose Sibindi said council should adopt other ways of revenue collection.

"BPRA urges BCC to come up with a revenue collection strategy. It is the residents of Bulawayo's view that the city explores other alternative revenue collection strategies.

"The contracting out of services by local authorities has proved not to be a best practice in terms of being an alternative revenue stream worldwide," Sibindi said.

He said BCC could explore other options which have worked in cities like Johannesburg in South Africa.

"They should also explore more revenue collection strategies such as resuscitating and modernising local community beerhalls and fully utilising recreational centres such as Centenary Park," he said. Sibindi said the strategy would disadvantage residents because of corruption that comes with sub-contracting local authority services.

"Sub-contracting local authority services has proved to be the main driver for corruption in Bulawayo and has seen residential stands (being) left unserviced while residents have to pay top-ups for delayed servicing," he said.

"The implementation of the city parking project has proved to be expensive for motorists and the yet-to-be completed Egodini Mall project is still a nightmare for the city as it has disrupted the previously effective transport services in Bulawayo."

Sibindi said due to bureaucracy in local authorities, corrupt activities might go undetected for a long period making it difficult to deal with perpetrators.

He said replacing permanent staff with contract workers as a way of fighting corruption would eventually lead to increased corruption as contract workers would be subservient to the employer for a short period as compared to permanent workers.