On 04 September 2024 during the 3375th Full Council Meeting, Bulawayo City Councillors through Ward 17 Councillor Sikhululekile Moyo and the Mayor Senator David Coltart assured Bulawayo residents that:
- They have set aside the resolution for the water utility company until there is water in the City; and
- The City does not have an intention to and will not be privatizing the City water authority.
This follows weeks of public engagements where Bulawayo residents were querying issues of consultation, allocation of resources and the rationality of a water utility company.
“We need to assure the residents of Bulawayo, there is an issue they are discussing of a water utility, we as Bulawayo Councillors have set it aside and we will relook at it when there is water in Bulawayo, it is not something they should be troubled about. They can give us ideas, but for now we have set the water utility issue aside” commented Councilor S Moyo debating item 5 of the General Purposes Meeting where VEI was inviting BCC representatives to a Water Utility Turnaround Workshop.
The City’s Mayor Senator David Coltart buttressed Cllr Moyo’s point clarifying that “There are a few misconceptions regarding what has been resolved… There is absolutely no intention to privatize Bulawayo’s water authority, that needs to be absolutely clear and we will make that very clear in the weeks that lie ahead, but that needs to be clarified”.
As Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights (MIHR) and having played a critical role in educating the residents about the Council resolution and in amplifying the residents’ voice and agency for consultation and involvement we therefore wish to:
- Beseech BCC to adhere to the assurances made and not use such statements to lure and ambush residents on this matter as such will further fragment the already fragile relations.
- Urge BCC to expedite explaining their proposal to the residents and stakeholders and not wait for that time “when there is water”. This is important considering that 88,4% of MIHR sampled residents were ignorant of the concept of water utility companies
- Encourage Bulawayo residents to not only maintain vigilance on the matter but also to educate themselves more on the concept of water utility companies and seek to have open conversations with BCC on various ring fencing and water improvement strategies.
- Further implore Bulawayo residents to start thinking of alternative water financing ideas and share them with BCC in order to improve the City’s water situation and development.
- Urge the Bulawayo City Council to improve its consultation processes on such serious public policy matters. This is important considering that 98% of MIHR sampled residents were keen to be consulted and involved on such public policy matters.
- We encourage Bulawayo residents to exercise their rights of actively participating and engaging in City governance and public policy matters and their responsibility of paying bills.
- Encourage civic society and the media to fully and factually apply themselves to Council and national public policy matters before cascading and communicating them to the residents to avoid misconceptions and wrong interpretations of policy pronouncements.
MIHR will continue seized with water governance in Bulawayo and Zimbabwe and promoting objective engagement and dialogue over issues relating to right to water. We are committed to promoting nonviolent and evidence based human rights advocacy in Zimbabwe.