The trip,
scheduled for Friday, will see the delegation — comprising council committee
chairpersons, senior management, a transition technical team, consultants, and
two Ministry of Local Government and Public Works officials — visit
Johannesburg Water to learn about its governance structure and operations.
This comes
despite public consultations showing that a majority of residents are opposed
to the proposed creation of a new water utility authority for Bulawayo.
According to minutes from a recent general purposes committee meeting, the
objectives of the visit are to gain experience from a water and sanitation
utility with similar characteristics and challenges as the envisaged utility
for the City of Bulawayo.
“The broad
learning visit objectives are to gain experience from a water and sanitation
utility with similar characteristics and challenges as the envisaged utility
for the City of Bulawayo, gaining insight and knowledge on the governance
structure of Johannesburg Water,” read the minutes.
Johannesburg
authorities have reportedly agreed to host the 25-member delegation. The
council delegation includes 10 councillors, among them committee chairpersons
such as Clr Mpumelelo Moyo (finance and development), Clr Royini Delete
(environmental management and engineering services), Clr Ntombizodwa Khumalo
(health, housing and education), and Clr Dumisani Netha (town lands and
planning).
The mayor, Clr
David Coltart, and his deputy, Clr Edwin Ndlovu, are also among those listed to
travel. However, leaked messages from a councillors’ WhatsApp group reveal deep
divisions within council ranks. In the messages, Clr Coltart expressed concern over
the size of the delegation, warning that the public would perceive it as
insensitive at a time when residents are grappling with severe water shortages.
“Aside from who
goes, we need to understand that the public will view us sending a delegation
of 29 in a very bad light,” Clr Coltart wrote, suggesting that only a handful
of engineers and selected councillors should make the trip.
“In my view,
only our water engineers and a few selected councillors should go. I would
prefer a delegation of no more than eight people. There is simply no need for
me or the town clerk to travel.”
Clr Coltart
further argued that, with most residents struggling without regular water
supplies, it would be irresponsible to spend significant ratepayer funds on a
large trip.
“We must
understand as elected councillors that the public will view a large delegation
in an exceptionally poor light,” he said.
Contacted for
comment yesterday, Clr Coltart confirmed the trip but said discussions about
the size and composition of the delegation were ongoing.
“It is still
being debated. There is some truth in the fact that we need to have a look at
Johannesburg Water, but the size and composition of the delegation hasn’t been
finalised,” he said.
Acting Director
of Water and Sanitation, Engineer Kwanele Sibanda, recently clarified during a
stakeholder consultative meeting that the establishment of a water and
sanitation utility in Bulawayo is intended to improve service delivery, attract
funding and investment, enhance accountability, reduce water shortages,and
boost efficiency, rather than privatising water services.
BCC has
proposed the formation of a Private Limited Corporate Organisation, aimed at
unlocking external financing opportunities, with US$17 million earmarked to
upgrade the city’s water infrastructure.
The initiative
seeks to tackle long-standing infrastructure challenges and is expected to
benefit from the technical expertise and resources of partners such as the
Veolia Environment Institute (VEI).
The proposed
utility would function as a specialised, professionally managed entity wholly
owned by the City of Bulawayo to improve operational efficiency and service
delivery. Chronicle
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