Bulawayo City Council Service Delivery expected to improve as it commissioned new equipment.
Bulawayo City Council commissioned new equipment and vehicles aimed at improving the council’s service delivery levels at the City Hall car park on Thursday.
Bulawayo Mayor Solomon Mguni reiterated the city’s strategy for 2023 of replacing the dilapidated plant, machinery, and vehicles and said that the equipment commissioned which includes one grader, one excavator, one front-end loader, four BT 50s, and five NP200s worth over US$1.1 millions would enable the city to meet its mandate of maintaining efficient general day-to-day service delivery.
“The City of Bulawayo, in line with its vision of being a leading, smart, and transformative city, will continue to strive towards improvement of service delivery. I wish to assure residents that we will continue to do this bit by bit until the situation improves,” the Mayor assured.
RELATED CONTENT: Bulawayo Water Crisis: Urgent Action Needed
Revenue Collection
Mguni also called for improved payment of bills to improve the city’s revenue collection and payment management by the residents.
“The call is also for financing institutions to provide the necessary funding through long-term loans at affordable interest rates. The hyperinflation environment makes it impossible for the city to raise the capital funding through the loans and be able to frequently purchase this equipment,” he said.
Mguni said, “To ensure continued service delivery, we have had to depend on hiring equipment from other service providers, and this has been costly for the city and the residents.” He added, “I am thus inviting local financial institutions in Bulawayo to also partner with the council in ensuring that we have the necessary funds towards such projects.”
The City has been facing several challenges managing its infrastructure, and the purchase of new machinery will go a long way in improving the council’s service delivery.
RELATED CONTENT: Why Are We Unhappy with Bulawayo City Council?
Maintenance Programmes
“The city needs to have this equipment and other equipment so as to ensure that we are also timely in our maintenance programmes. Our fleet is now aged and prone to frequent breakdowns and in some cases, these breakdowns have taken place while we work at the various sites. To ensure continued service delivery, we have had to depend on hiring equipment from other service providers and this has been costly for the city and the residents,” said Mguni.
The Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Funds, Honourable Judith Ncube in her speech read by Deputy Director Coordination in the Bulawayo minister of State’s office, Beaulah Gwaze on her behalf highlighted the importance of this event in contributing towards the socio-economic growth of the City of Bulawayo, and how it is one of the greatest achievements for the City to improve its service delivery to residents and stakeholders.
Efficient Services
“It should be noted that for the City to function and bring efficient services, there should be adequate equipment, this will ensure its success and growth. As we are commissioning this equipment today, I am optimistic that our City will positively improve its service delivery,” she said.
Furthermore, the Minister of State praised Council for procuring these vehicles, acknowledging their contribution to the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and the country’s vision of becoming a middle-class economy by 2030, while adhering to the governance pillar that emphasizes the availability of equipment.
RELATED CONTENT: Bulawayo City Council Water Crisis Strategies
Modernizing
Honourable Ncube concluded by urging the Local Authority to continue to modernize and improve all sectors of Municipal Service Delivery, while calling on residents to support the Council by paying their dues so that they can restore the dignity and the reputation of Bulawayo as an excellent City.
To add, Bulawayo is one of the largest cities in Zimbabwe, and the acquisition of new plant, machinery, and vehicles marks an important milestone in their efforts to improve service delivery to residents. The City of Bulawayo has taken a significant step forward in enhancing service delivery by acquiring new plant, machinery, and vehicles.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the City Engineer Sikhumbuzo Ncube emphasised the importance of the new acquisitions and their potential impact on the delivery of services to the citizens of Bulawayo.
Milestone
“Indeed this is a milestone for the entire City to acquire such equipment for service delivery,” he said.
Moreover, explaining the rationale behind the acquisition, Ncube noted that the city council had been forced to rely on contractors due to the obsolete state of its plant and equipment.
He added that the private contractors were charging exorbitant rates, making it impossible for efficient and effective service delivery.
“The private contracting companies are now charging exorbitant rates, making it impossible for efficient and effective service delivery hence the need for Council to acquire new machinery and vehicles,” said the Engineer.
51% Obsolete
Ncube also revealed that the city has a fleet of 336 vehicles and plants, of which 51% are obsolete and need to be replaced. “The procured plant, equipment, and vehicles are key in ensuring efficient and effective service delivery in the city,” he said.
Lastly, the ceremony was attended by the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Hon Ncube, the Mayor of the City of Bulawayo, His Worship Solomon Mguni, and other stakeholders.
#News in Bulawayo #News in Zimbabwe Artist Arts BCC Bulawayo Bulawayo City Council Bulawayo Drugs Bulawayo economy Bulawayo industry Bulawayo news Bulawayo Police Bulawayo Water Bulawayo Water Crisis Bulawayo Women entrepreneurship Business Women Community Culture Currency Drug Abuse Drugs Economy Farmer Farmers Farming Informal Sector Informal Traders MSMEs Music News in Bulawayo News in Zimbabwe Police Police in Bulawayo Vendor Vendors water Water Crisis Water Shortage water supply issue Women entrepreneurship ZESA Zimbabwean economy Zimbabwe news Zimbabwe water crisis ZITF ZRP
Our stories told by us!
Join us for all News in Bulawayo and Bulawayo News in Zimbabwe.
