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Bulawayo City Council (BCC), like the rest of the country’s local authorities, is struggling to meet its financial obligations such as paying salaries.

This has been blamed on reduced revenue inflows as most ratepayers are not paying their bills.

The situation has been worsened by the fact that many companies that used to pay for council services have closed while the few remaining ones are also struggling and as such are among the defaulting ratepayers.

BCC is as a result owed more than $600 million by both residents and companies. According to council, only 16 percent of ratepayers were paid up by the end of last November, a very disturbing state of affairs.

Council employees downed tools two weeks ago demanding a review of their salaries. The workers said the lowest paid council employees were getting as little as $1 900 basic salary a month yet the Poverty Datum Line is pegged at more than $17 000 a month for an average family of five people.

The workers’ demands are very genuine because they, like any other workers, deserve to be paid a living wage.

The salary of the least paid council employee cannot meet even the basics of a family hence the urgent need for the salaries to be reviewed upwards.

It is however, a fact that council can only review the salaries upwards if the revenue inflows improve.

The bulk of the council’s revenue is from ratepayers and as such ratepayers should strive to meet their obligation to regularly pay their bills.

Council cannot be expected to meet its financial obligations as long as only 16 percent of its ratepayers are paid up.

We should have more than 50 percent paid up ratepayers to enable council to pay decent salaries while also meeting its mandate to provide services.

Under the new rates residents in the western suburbs pay between US$15 and US20 a month which is not much compared to what residents used to pay during the multi-currency regime. We want at this juncture to implore residents to prioritise the payment of council bills to enable council to fulfil its mandate to provide services such as water provision and collection of refuse.

Most residents that are now saddled with huge council bills have not bothered to pay their bills for months if not years. It is crucial for residents to strive to pay their bills every month to avoid accumulating arrears as is the case now. Council on its part should revisit the project to introduce pre-paid water meters which has proved very effective for Zesa. Residents cannot do without the precious liquid hence they will be forced to pay for water in advance.

Council has already asked defaulters to come up with payment plans and we urge residents to urgently engage council.