Sanctions rob Bulawayo of industrial hub status

03 Oct, 2021 - 00:10 0 Views
Sanctions rob Bulawayo of industrial hub status Mr Winos Dube

The Sunday News

Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
THE ripple effects of the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States of America and some Western countries decimated Bulawayo’s industries forcing many workers out of employment, in the process affecting rates payments to the local authority.

For many years, Bulawayo City Council has been failing to meet its targets as many companies and individuals have failed to pay rates.

Over the years a number of major industries in Bulawayo have shut down as they failed to retool due to their inability to access cheap financing among other challenges posed by the illegal sanctions.

The sanctions against the country came in the form of the so-called Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA) in America.

From at one point being the country’s industrial hub, Bulawayo has become a pale shadow of its former self.

With companies like iron and steel engineering firm F Issels and Sons, General Beltings, Radiator and Tinning, Hubert Davies, National Blankets Limited and Goldstar Sugar Refineries, to mention but a few, having since turned into factory shells.

Bulawayo Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube said while to some it might seem the illegal sanctions could not affect council operations, they were reeling from the effects as the closure of industries which has directly affected the city’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He said the high unemployment levels   meant there was a greater fraction of residents who were failing to pay their rates, this affecting the city’s coffers and subsequently the local authority’s ability to offer adequate services.

“These sanctions are obviously affecting us because as it is the majority of our residents are unemployed because of the closed industries hence they are struggling to pay their rates, yet we need these monies for us to fulfil our mandate of service delivery.

“Further, the closure of these industries goes on to affect the city’s economic value because all major industries have turned into shells with no production taking place, if these were open it would obviously feed into the city’s GDP which will also have a positive bearing towards the country’s economy,” said Mr Dube.

Mr Christopher Dube

He said it was their hope as a local authority that the sanctions were lifted so that it gives the country a fair opportunity to run its affairs and fully revive the economy.

“While I am not a policy maker my call is that America realises the effects of these sanctions on the ordinary Zimbabwean,  imagine a small local authority like us struggling, what of the nation as a whole,” he said.

Bulawayo United Residents Association (Bura) chairperson, Mr Winos Dube said the time had come for the illegal sanctions to be lifted as the ordinary Zimbabweans continued to suffer from their effects.

“This is like fighting with someone with one of the hands tied at the back, it is unfair and cruel, these people should allow us to be ably govern our country. As it is industries cannot access key equipment because of these sanctions.

“Our citizens are losing their jobs, they are struggling to pay their rates, the local authority thus fails to offer key services, which thus results in cases of raw sewage flowing on our streets, which goes further to contaminate our drinking water and subsequently causing illnesses which may even lead to death,” said Mr Dube.

According to the budget performance for the first six months of the year, the city’s debtors have since ballooned to $1,7 billion, with the local authority revealing that most customers were paying prior years debts during the first six months.

The city has managed to collect cash amounting to $1,5 billion, US$367 529 and ZAR883 531.

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