Bulawayo council pushes online billing as unpaid rates soar

The city’s finance manager, Euthera Siziba, said residents should register their email addresses and mobile numbers so they can receive electronic bills and access their accounts from home. Speaking at a residents’ meeting at Pumula North Hall on Wednesday, Siziba said the council was shifting towards a paperless system to make it easier for people to view and settle their accounts. “We are doing this to help residents not to travel to city council offices but do it in the comfort of their homes,” he said.

Residents will receive their bills through email or messaging platforms, while those without WhatsApp or email accounts will receive them via SMS, he added. The move comes as the council struggles with low payment levels in some suburbs. Siziba said residents in Pumula owed the municipality about ZiG34 million (around $1.3m).

“About 80% of residents are not paying their bills, while only 20% are paying,” he said, warning that the shortfall was affecting service delivery. He urged residents with outstanding balances to approach the council to arrange payment plans, which would allow them to make an initial deposit and then settle the remaining amount over time. “Payment plans are structured according to one’s ability to pay,” he said.

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Siziba also outlined the council’s billing structure, which includes fixed charges for services such as water, sewerage, refuse collection and property rates. For homes measuring 200 square metres or less, the fixed water charge is $2.25, sewerage $0.82, refuse collection $7.43 and property rates $5.23, he said. Variable charges are then added depending on consumption.

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