Bulawayo Council, Residents Clash Over US Dollar Top-up Fees
Bulawayo residents who bought residential stands in Magwegwe West and Pumula are contemplating taking legal action after the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) demanded that they top up the money they paid for the stands in foreign currency.
Residents bought the housing stands in 2016 and are still waiting for the areas to be serviced.
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) secretary for administration Thembelani Dube told Southern Eye on Sunday that the council was changing goalposts. Said Dube:
The top-up violates the initial agreements that the buyers had with the local authority during the time the stands were available. Any deviation from that calls for legal action.
He said BPRA was waiting for feedback from the Government after it submitted a petition on the council’s demands.
BCC is demanding as much as US$6 000 depending on the size of the stand in top-ups.
The local authority is also threatening to repossess the land over failure to pay the fees.
Dube said the council had done nothing to develop the stands in Magwegwe West and Ntemba in Pumula, among other areas.
Bulawayo, like many urban areas in Zimbabwe, sells unserviced housing stands to desperate home-seekers due to a huge housing backlog.
Due to the unavailability of proper roads, running water and sewer systems, the quality of life for residents is compromised.
More: Pindula News
