By Bulawayo Correspondent

BULAWAYO City Council Friday honoured the city’s top 100 clients who have been religiously paying bills on time.

Some of the clients who were recognized include OK Zimbabwe, National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Masiyephambili secondary school and National Social Security Authority (NSSA).

Speaking at the appreciation ceremony held in the city, deputy mayor Mlandu Ncube pledged council’s commitment in improving service delivery in the city.

“The mission of the city is to provide quality services to the satisfaction of clients and stakeholders. The council is keen in improving standards in municipal service delivery in line with our vision of being a smart transformative city by 2024.

“We continue to bring convenience particularly in accessing and payment of services through the use of innovations such as mobile payment platforms and e-governance,” said Ncube.    

Bulawayo city council is owed more than $31,4 billion by residents and other ratepayers including government.

“Your determination and urge to go an extra mile in the payment of bills is appreciated and allows Bulawayo to stay afloat even during these difficult times. I applaud your diligence and resolve to be a key player in the financial sustainability of the city of Bulawayo,” he said.

The deputy mayor also expressed concern over the deteriorating water situation in the city which has seen some residents go for more than three weeks without water due to the current electricity outages.

“The city’s water supply is adversely affected by frequent power outages resulting in a drop from the early March 2023 system input volume of 120 ml day to 40 to 50 ML day. This has put a significant strain on the high placed suburbs,” he said, adding that the city has been force to implement “several measures” to alleviate the water crisis.