Bulawayo City Council

Bulawayo local government is Bulawayo Municipality.
2018 Mayor - Tinashe Kambarami

International Recognition of Bulawayo

1. Twice won the United Nations Urban Housing Merit Award for its housing programme.
2. Was one of 12 finalists world wide in the special global competition to honour local initiatives for addressing environmental and development challenges of the 21st Century which culminated in the United Nations Conference on Environmental and Development that was held in Rio de Jameiro in 1992.
3. Won 2nd prize in the 1996 Healthy Cities Competition sponsored by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
4. Partnered the Institute of Housing and Urban Development of the Netherlands in its research on local economic development initiative
5. Member of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiative (ICLEI) and one of the only 9 Cities in Africa selected for the Africa Sustainable Cities Network.
6. Chosen as one of the six implementing local authorities and beneficiary of the Sustainable Urban Resilient Water for Africa: Developing Local Climate Solutions (SURE Water for Africa) a five year project under ICLEI.
7. Twin City with Aberdeen, Scotland.
8. Twin City with the City of Durban, Ethekwini, South Africa.
9. Signed Memorandum of Understanding with Polokwane Municipality in South Africa.
10. Signed Statement of intent with Siping City in China.
11. Nominated as Africa’s first ResponsABLE City by the United Kingdom based on ResponseABILITY and EnvironMENTAL Leadership Alliance, through which environmental challenges were tackled.
12. Came first in the Public Sector Category in the Customer Service Award in 2012, 2013,2014 organised by Contact Centre Association of Zimbabwe.
13. First Municipality in Zimbabwe to launch a Customer Service Call Centre (2012).
14. First municipality in Zimbabwe to develop a Water and Waste Water Master Plan (2012).

Events

The deputy mayor of Bulawayo, Tinashe Kambarami and councillor Silas Chigora were released on ZWL$100 bail each after a night in cells following their arrest 13 July 2019 for allegedly assaulting town clerk Christopher Dube. Dube was being forcibly removed from his office for refusing to accept a suspension letter from Kambarami, who was acting mayor on the day. Mayor Solomon Mguni was away on study leave when Kambarami tried to serve Dube with the suspension letter, and he has since reversed the suspension.
A meeting called by Kambarami to endorse Dube’s suspension was aborted following the protests by residents who went on to beat up some MDC councillors, among them Felix Mhaka.
Magistrate Franklin Mkwananzi presided. Kambarami and Chigora were represented by lawyers Dickson Moyo and Maqhawe Ndlovu.
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Mpilo Central Hospital water

Relatives of patients at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo, have to bring water at times, it was reported in March 2023. There was no water in the maternity ward. Mpilo Central Hospital did not have an independent water supply, so when surrounding suburbs were cut off, they are also affected.

They had four functional boreholes, however they were not directly connected to the hospital side. Bulawayo City Council refused to allow Mpilo Central Hospital to feed water into them from their systems. The City of Bulawayo had been very consistent in dispatching a bowser whenever there was prolonged water rationing. The hospital also had multiple jojo tanks that were strategically positioned around the hospital close to the wards. They recently received assistance to draw water from them to the higher floors. The only challenge with them is that they fill up either through the bowsers or running water. If they get neither, then they will be empty. ^[2]

References