BCC appeals for payment of bills on time to improve staff welfare

Gibson Mhaka

THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has called on residents to pay their bills on time to enable the local authority to improve the welfare and remuneration of its staff.

The plea which is contained in the latest council minutes was made after the local authority’s clinics were hit by mass exodus of nurses, a development that has further crippled the city’s health delivery system. Nurses who were resigning were reportedly citing poor salaries and working conditions.

“Councillor M. Dube (Ward 25 councillor Mzama Dube) observed that the number of nursing staff was decreasing at Council clinics. Were there any measures being taken to address this situation? Service delivery was now being compromised and residents were spending long hours at clinics.

“Councillor A. Batirai (ward 24 councillor Arnold Batirai Dube) concurred and also raised concern on staff turnover in Council clinics. The nursing staff was leaving Council on a daily basis. Councillor J. Ndlovu noted that the nursing staff was resigning from Council due to poor remuneration. The general staff welfare was poor,” the minutes reads in part.

The Deputy Mayor Councillor Mlandu Ncube also expressed concern about the situation at council clinics saying it was no longer at council level but at national level as well.

‘Central Government nurses were also leaving the country and only a few wanted to join local authorities. Zimbabwe’s nursing staff training standards were very high and most of the Commonwealth countries recruited Zimbabwean trained nursing staff. He urged residents to pay their bills on time so that the welfare and remuneration of council staff was improved, further reads the minutes.

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