THE Bulawayo City Council has risked infuriating ratepayers by splashing US$65,000 on a new sports utility vehicle for mayor, Thaba Moyo.

Moyo took delivery of his new Chrysler 2.0l CRO Dodge Journey on March 4, just months after the MDC-T run council bought him a Mazda BT50.

Council spokeswoman Nesisa Mpofu confirmed the cost of the vehicle which joins the mayor’s pool which already boasts a ceremonial vintage black Rolls Royce, a Toyota Venture, a Nissan Pathfinder, a Prado, a Peugeot 504 sedan and the BT50.

Council sources say the original budget for the mayor’s car was US$46,000 – meaning the council spent US$19,000 more.

The mayor’s extravagant buy will outrage residents who last week presented a petition to Bulawayo Metropolitan Governor Cain Mathema, demanding a reduction in tariffs.

Thousands of city residents recently had their water supplies cut as the council intensifies its bid to recover about $14 million in unpaid rates.

The council also says it is owed US$3,7 million by various government departments, a situation which the city blames for its ineffectiveness in delivering reliable services to residents.