By: Mbulelo S Mpofu | April 25, 2025 | The Chronicle
GOVERNMENT has finally approved Bulawayo City Council’s (BCC) 2025 budget following protracted disagreements between the local authority and key stakeholders over proposed tariffs and lack of consultations.
In a letter addressed to BCC Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Dr John Basera, stated that the budget was approved under Section 47(1) of the Public Finance Management Act (Chapter 22:19), but with strict conditions attached.
He stated that quarterly monitoring will be conducted to ensure adherence to the budget during the course of the year. Council must also clear outstanding audits by year-end and submit detailed monthly progress reports.
“The Minister of Local Government and Public Works has in terms of Section 47 (1) of the Public Finance Management Act Chapter 22:19 approved the 2025 budget for Bulawayo City Council,” read the letter.
Dr Basera further directed the city council to implement tariffs agreed upon by a ministerial committee. These include shop and liquor licences, water charges and property rates.
Confirming the development during a visit to the ministry’s stand at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said the decision followed a recent intervention by his Ministry after widespread stakeholder complaints about BCC’s proposed rates.
He said they met the local authority and reviewed areas of concern. Minister Garwe said in some cases, rates had to be reduced and in others reviewed upwards.
He said they approved the budget on given conditions because certain expectations were not met. One key issue was the lack of stakeholder consultation.
“There were certain areas where council did not meet our expectations but for the sake of progress, we approved the budget subject to council meeting certain conditions,” said Minister Garwe.
The 2025 budget had been a source of contention since late last year with residents’ associations, business groups and civic organisations accusing council of pushing through inflated tariffs without adequate stakeholder engagement. The proposed increases came at a time when residents were grappling with erratic water supplies, poor refuse collection and deteriorating road infrastructure.
In January, several residents’ groups sent petitions and held public meetings to challenge the proposed rates, which they said were unjustified given the city’s poor service delivery. The outcry prompted the Ministry of Local Government to send a fact-finding delegation to Bulawayo in March, which recommended the formation of a technical committee to review the budget proposals in consultation with affected stakeholders.
The Saturday Chronicle understands that among the agreed conditions is that water tariffs must undergo verification via an independent audit to validate BCC’s cost structure.
For commercial and industrial properties, the previously used 2017 tariffs will be increased by 10 percent. Reconnection fees for domestic users have been slashed from US$20 to US$10.
Big supermarkets will now pay a flat shop licence fee with no extra charges for specialised departments like butcheries, bakeries or takeaways. These will instead be endorsed on the main licence.
There was also a stakeholder request to suspend the issuing of summonses to recover legacy debts. In response, the technical committee’s chairperson, Mr Alpha Nhamo, committed to engaging council management on the possibility of suspending legal action.
Bulawayo Mayor Councillor David Coltart welcomed the budget’s approval, expressing relief that the council is now able to offer the required services and also implement development projects.