Faced with deteriorating basic service delivery in many local authorities, including Bulawayo, taxpayers have raised concerns about some of the benefits given to serving councillors.
Specifically, they are demanding the abolition of lifetime residential and commercial land rights granted to those in power.
Through Circular No. 12 of 2019, the government allows council members the privilege of purchasing residential land at a 40 percent discount and commercial land at the full price.
Under this provision, councilors can arrange a payment plan with the local authority, which must be completed within five years of their service on the council. Despite these and other benefits, residents have lamented the decline in service delivery in most councils and blamed city fathers for sleeping on duty and failing to show leadership in addressing problems affecting taxpayers.
Most urban centers are facing a decline in service delivery, with major cities such as Bulawayo and Harare struggling to maintain clean streets and provide water while battling housing backlogs.
In Bulawayo, for example, more than 100,000 people are on a housing waiting list, and most of the city’s roads are riddled with potholes.
Chaos also continues in the city center as vendors and pushcart operators block sidewalks and disrupt traffic with long-distance buses, tax pirates and kombis, causing traffic jams in undesignated areas.
While service delivery is on a downward trajectory, residents said it is worrying that council members are only interested in seizing positions for personal gain.
These benefits have raised eyebrows, especially given that from previous council terms, some councilors in Bulawayo are said to have acquired commercial platforms where they enrich themselves by building townhouses.
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association Executive Director, Ms Perment Ngoma, said it was worrying that council members had easy access to land at a time when most Bulawayo residents were struggling to obtain land to build their homes on.
“The feeling from residents is that these packages are too inflated given that we have a long list of people on the housing waiting list to get the platforms,” she said.
“Terraces are not provided to residents, but it is funny that councilors seem to be getting priority in terms of land allotment even when the council says it does not own land.
“Secondly, you will find that when these councilors are given those positions, they sell them immediately. There may be a need to review the policy so that the councilor gets the land in the ward in which he serves,” Ms Nujoma said.
She said the government should consider eliminating commercial land benefits for councillors.
Chairman of the Bulawayo United Residents Association (BORA), Mr Winus Dube, questioned the logic behind the benefits council members receive at the expense of other residents. He said that only property owners should be consultants as this would ease the burden of having “opportunities”.
“The only thing we are asking from government and ministry level is why they are offering these concessions. For example, the residential suite concession, what we have been advocating is that there should be a qualification to be a council member.” “You have to be someone who actually owns a property and has an interest.” In providing development.
“As it stands, anyone can rise from the streets to become a council member, not because they want to contribute positively to the development of the city, but because they are after these residential ward and commercial ward packages.”
Working as a consultant should be voluntary, with few incentives, Mr. Dube said.
Former Bulawayo local councilor David Ndlovu, who served on the council between 1991 and 2003, said during his time it was not unheard of for a councilor to have benefited from the local authority apart from his usual allowance.
Alderman Ndlovu shared Mr Dube’s sentiments that being a councilor is about serving the community.
“We were on the council to serve the public, not to take advantage of resources that were intended to serve the public. We would go to the council to offer volunteer work. The only thing we were getting was allowances. “If something like this (land acquisition) is proposed, it will be called corruption and you will find out that most of the people who become councilors already have their properties,” Alderman Ndlovu said.
He said that what saddens us is that the council members have surrendered themselves to the management of the council, but they are supposed to be policy makers.
“At the time we were on council, we did not have this thing where councilors would invite council managers to come and address residents on council issues,” Alde Ndlovu said.
“Council meetings were chaired only by the advisor who understood all the issues. I don’t want to seem like I’m criticizing them or suggesting that we’re better than them.
“But they’re doing things we wouldn’t do. They’re building homes in places we left behind as outlets and in some cases in wetlands. That’s the trend now.”
The Director of Communications and Advocacy at the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Mr. Gabriel Masfora, said the government through Circular No. 12 of 2019 granted council members permission to benefit from a commercial and residential wing during their lifetime.
“The suite may be sold to the councilor at a discount of 40 percent from the normal values. The suite will be offered to the councilor under a lease with option to purchase contract with payments to be made in equal monthly installments and completed before the end of the councillor’s term,” he said.
“Title titles may only be issued after the development of the house has been completed.”
Mr Masfora said the councilor may not sell the ward or relinquish the lease during his term and the cost of servicing the ward will be paid in full.
“However, this offer of a residential stand is a privilege and not an entitlement. With regard to the commercial/industrial stands, the Minister has granted permission for the councilor to allocate one commercial or industrial stand for his lifetime, within the council areas on which to build a business venture for himself.”
“The suite will be offered to the councilor on a lease with option to purchase agreement with payments to be made in equal monthly installments and completed before the end of his term. The title deed may only be issued after the development of the house has been completed.” Announce
