BY COLIN CRAIG MOYO
Bulawayo mayor Solomon Mguni yesterday urged church leaders to lead by example by paying their rates and rentals on time.
“We have to work together as council and the church. This will help our city and its residents as the religious leaders play a vital role,” Mguni said.
Council also charged churches for noise-making in residential areas, especially in the high-density suburbs.
But the church leaders requested that, just like night clubs being located in the central business district, they also should be given stands in the central business district to avoid the issue of noise.
The church leaders also pleaded with council to avail residential stands for them, saying most of the churches from the colonial era have a lot of branches in the city, while the present day churches are failing to acquire stands because the council allocates one stand to one church in an area.
In response, town clerk Christopher Dube said churches should settle their bills and also stop occupying open spaces without authority from the city.
“The churches which have more than one stand in an area acquired their leases a long time ago. Churches should apply for stands or rentals as the rates are low as the smallest is $20 and the largest is $150,” said Dube.
