Council debates fines hike

Bulawayo City Council has been forced to confront two pressing challenges - severe vehicle shortages affecting service delivery and escalating illegal dumping - with councillors calling for urgent reforms to both procurement systems and penalty structures.

The matters took centre stage during Wednesday's full council meeting, where councillors expressed frustration over stalled improvements and the growing strain on municipal operations. The debate on littering was initiated by Councillor Melisa Mabeza, who raised concern over the worsening state of public spaces due to rampant illegal vending and refuse disposal.

Councillor Octavius Dumisani Nkomo echoed the concern, arguing that current fines were too weak to discourage offenders. He pointed to Victoria Falls, where penalties sit at US$100, and suggested Bulawayo should adopt similar levels to restore cleanliness and public order. Councillor Mmeli Thobeka Moyo supported this proposal and recommended the creation of community enforcement teams in every ward to monitor compliance more closely.

Mayor Senator David Coltart backed the call for stronger deterrents, recounting a recent case where a businessman caught dumping waste along Cecil Avenue paid only US$30 - a sum far lower than official landfill fees. He warned that such nominal penalties were encouraging illegal disposal. In response, he proposed raising fines to as much as US$300 per tonne for trucks dumping waste, saying the threat of substantial financial loss could force behavioural change.

Attention later shifted to the deteriorating state of the city's transport fleet, an issue raised by Councillor Aleck Ndlovu. Of the 20 municipal vehicles available, 12 are reportedly grounded, leaving only eight operational. He questioned whether council workshops had the capacity to fix even minor mechanical issues, with some vehicles immobilised for lack of small spare parts.

Mayor Coltart acknowledged the crisis but said the delays were rooted more in procurement failures than workshop capacity. He noted that the council previously kept sufficient spare parts in stock, reducing vehicle downtime, but procurement bottlenecks have derailed that system in recent years. He assured council that measures were being put in place to restore spare-part stocking and speed up repairs.

Closing the discussion, Councillor Sikhululekile Moyo said all concerns regarding fines had been recorded and promised that legal consultation would begin immediately to review and potentially increase penalties for illegal dumping and littering.

The council now faces the task of turning debate into swift action — a move residents hope will finally restore efficiency and cleanliness across the city.