Ignatius Banda
28 April 2009
Bulawayo — Cash-strapped residents of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city are digging in their heels and refusing to pay utility bills despite the municipality teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. At the heart of the dispute are dismal service delivery and the conundrum of using multiple currencies in an economy that boasts world record inflation.
The parallel use of multiple currencies announced in January by Tendai Biti, the newly appointed minister of finance in the unity government, effectively rendered the local currency extinct in everyday transactions. According to economists more stable currencies are being preferred as a hedge against hyper inflation and the local currency's volatility after years of economic recession. But the policy barons appear to have underplayed the local reality of ratepayers who do not have access to foreign currency.
Embattled industry and commerce officials say employers are struggling to keep their businesses afloat and have not yet made arrangements to pay workers in foreign currency. In the public sector the situation appears even worse as the government has not been able to secure funds for civil service salaries. It is commonplace these days for bodies to lie in state morgues for days as relatives struggle to raise burial expenses that must also be settled in foreign currency.
Residents in high density areas are expected to pay 15 U.S. dollars a month towards refuse collection, water consumption, sewerage and the general maintenance of the city. More affluent areas have to fork out more than double that amount. All households are also charged $100 for electricity. But revenue collection constraints have hamstrung the local authority and impacted on its ability to deliver services.
"We know it is difficult for everyone right now but [cannot] expect a change in service delivery as long as residents [don't] pay their bills," said Thelma Khuyo of the council's finance department.
"Even in the past, before the introduction of forex, we would have residents in arrears and houses would be auctioned. But now many who feel like not paying are just ignoring their bills."
Bob Mguni of the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BUPRA) concedes that the failure to pay utility bills has made matters difficult for the council but maintains that residents have no choice.
"There has been no deliberate call by any association to boycott bill payment. This is not organised mass action. What the people are simply doing is responding to their economic realities."
Winos Dube, chairperson of the Bulawayo Residents Association (BURA), which was formed in the 1960s said residents will never sustain council activities through rates alone.
"We have in the past suggested that the council must have some kind of income-generating projects since the municipality already has a number of assets and properties but this has not happened."
While acknowledging the council's poor finances, Bulawayo mayor Thaba Moyo contended that officials were trying to find solutions to the city's woes. On Mar. 16 he announced that the local council would purchase water purification chemicals for the next three months.
The source of the funding is not known but many believe the city is trying to appease increasingly restive residents, as unclean water has been a source of conflict in the past.
Last December, the mayor had complained that the city was unable to procure chemicals because suppliers were demanding cash upfront. It also coincided with a three-month strike by municipal workers who demanded to be paid in foreign currency. The industrial action put further strain on the perennially broke council and its already under-par service delivery.
Residents have taken it upon themselves to volunteer their services to spruce up a city once celebrated as one of Africa's cleanest. Groups of women have resorted to tending to council-owned schools where they, among other things, cut overgrown grass. Young people have organised clean-up campaigns to remove the rubbish that has been piling up across the city. It is not unusual these days to see unemployed youth filling potholes in the streets for tips from motorists.
"We have to do this as we all know the city council is failing to do it themselves," Owen Garise, a local youth commented.
"We have taken it upon ourselves to do something and have among other things asked residents to donate in cash or kind to the city's largest hospital," Dube told IPS.
A former councilor, Howard Hadebe, applauded citizen efforts to assist the municipality but cautioned against resident associations taking stands that "identify" them with a political party and "spoils" the relationship between the local authority and residents.
"For example, when you question how council budgets are reached without consultation with residents, you are painted with a particular political brush," snapped Dube. "It is unfortunate that once politicians are voted into power they do not listen."
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2009 Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
HOW DISGRACEFUL A ONCE THRIVING COUNTRY GONE DOWN THE ZAMBEZI RIVERNO CURRENCY, KWACHAS TO THE NORTH,NO PROPER CURRENCY- MOZAMBICAN CURRENCY TO THE EAST, PULAS, RANDS AND US$ SOMEONE SHOULD BURY THEIR HEAD IN THE SEWER
N/A, What is disgraceful when Zimbabwe gets $400 million credit line from fellow African states? Your hyperbolic comments are total nonsense. Great Britain was almost broke in 1971 and it borrowed money from the IMF....Ohhhhh how disgraceful UK was a former colonialist with vast stolen loot from Africa.....To me what you are say is just foolish anti Zimbabwe GNU. But who the hell are you to stop people from Zimbabwe moving ahead with GNU? You just a small potato head..I think it is a mistake on my part to even respond to a clown like you!!! The whole USA has been running on Vadoo economics....Ohhhhhh first world countries are running their countries like banana republic...borrowing money with no intentions or repaying? .Results, massive bank failures and unemployment....But they are just first world countries they can do what ever the want....What kind of nonsense is that. You are just a Bitter Rhodesia, who in living on UK welfare...GET OUT of the way for the GNU..Even if you don't..you are a small man and can easily be ignored!!!
Wonder what $400 million in southern african credits look like? Probably a lot like those $billions in vouchers that uncle bob is passing around to the green bombers and the army. Im sure that these credits would be good for things like the farm inputs that the Zanuobos sold over the border; buying back hundreds of millions of foreign aid with imaginary money sounds like a wonderful plan. The boyz could just go over the border and turn it back into real cash. This would even prop up the imaginary farm credits which would lead to a huge imaginary farm suplus which could be sold again!! Bob could boast that he is the leader in imaginary credits economics. I dont see a real nobel prize here, but, who needs the nordics and their carbon credits anyway!
Dear Readers , There is a climate in America and the financial world that secretly has been
"cooking the books" while they rob us. For example most financial information that is
reported only focuses on "The Budget ". A Budget is the amount of money we would
need to run our household on a specific time schedule (e.g. weekly budget, monthly
budget, yearly budget ).
When they tell us they have a "Budget Deficit ", they are actually saying they don't have
enough money for the specific period the Budget is supposed to cover. There is a more
complete financial picture that many of us are kept from seeing. This picture is called "
THE COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT ".
People like WALTER BURIEN & ALEX JONES exposed the schemes that have been
going on since 1945 in America alone !!! For more information do a search using " The
Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Exposed "..On YouTube Alex Jones &
Walter Burien share a documentary that they did in the 1990s.
[http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=The+Comprehensive +Annual+Financial+Report+Exposed+]
[God Bless You Readers To Want To Know And Seek To Know The Truth]
[This inspiring poem was featuring in the movie “Coach Carter ”]
Our Deepest Fear Is Not That We Are Inadequate, Our Deepest Fear Is That We Are Powerful Beyond Measure. It Is Our Light , Not Our Darkness That Most Frightens Us.
We Ask Ourselves, Who Am I To Be Brilliant, Gorgeous, Talented, And Fabulous ?
Actually Who Are We Not To Be ? You Are A Child Of God.
Your Playing Small Doesn’t Serve The World.
There Is Nothing Enlightened About Shrinking So That Other People Won’t Feel Insecure Around You.
We Are All Meant To Shine, As Children Do.
We Were Born To Make Manifest The Glory Of God That Is Within Us.
It’s Not Just In Some Of Us; It’s In Everyone.
And When We Let Our Own Light Shine We Unconsciously Give Other People Permission To Do The Same.
And As We Are Liberated From Our Own Fear, Our Presence Automatically Liberates Others
- Marianne Williamson -
[NOTE – BEING AFRAID AND REFUSING TO GET INVOLVED WON’T STOP US FROM DYING. BUT BEING AFRAID CAN PREVENT US FROM LIVING]
(Nkosi Sikeleli Africa )
God bless Africa May her glory be lifted high Hear our petitions .
God bless us, Your children God we ask You to protect our nation Intervene and end all conflicts Protect us, protect our nation, our nation.
From the blue of our heaven, From the depths of our sea, Over our eternal mountain ranges, Where the cliffs give answer.
Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom, In South Africa our land.
[Enoch Mankayi Sontonga]
WAKE UP ! STAY UP MY BROTHERS & SISTERS ! BE SELF-SUFFICIENT IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
- Life Is a Game. Have Fun. [ Luke 18:17 / Isaiah 11:6 ]
I too am inspired by the verse and prayer that you have cited. However, I am sorry to say that your first few paragraphs are economic nonsense. The comparison you appear to be reaching for is that of the "profit and loss statement" in contrast to the "balance sheet".
The first is comparable to a government's budget (though usually backward looking rather than forward), the second more akin to the national accounts, the usual measure being growth or otherwise of GDP.
Regrettably, Zimbabwe rates very lowly on either measure. I will not pretend to understand African custom or tradition. However it is a source of amazement to westerners that the people who held the governing and economic reins while Zimbabwe crashed still appear to have some support in Zimbabwe.
The choice for these people in a western country would be to resign in shame, or be forcibly removed. Because of this western tradition, there will be no economic aid to Zimbabwe while the authors of this catastrophe are still in office. No matter what Africans may think or say about this, it is the reality.
Trying to blame others when you are the leader of an organisation is just too childish to warrant a response.
See all comments (20).
Active Discussions: U.S.$400 Million Credit Lines Secured