Residents reporting corruption within the Bulawayo City Council must provide full information and be prepared to testify in disciplinary hearings, town clerk Christopher Dube has said.
He said this during a full council meeting where officials addressed growing public concerns over housing allocation and transparency.
“Corruption is a very serious criminal offense in the country and as such it is not tolerated,” the minutes read in part.
“Residents reporting corruption should have full information and be willing to testify during disciplinary hearings.
“All reported corruption allegations with full information will be investigated.”
City fathers complained about the severe housing shortage in the city, with the current waiting list containing over 140 000 names.
The city currently has only about 10 000 available residential stands.
Council minutes confirmed that all land developers operating in the city are approved by the municipality.
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During the discussions, councillors echoed residents' frustrations and called for greater clarity.
Deputy housing committee chairperson, councillor Sikhululekile Moyo, urged the council to improve communication regarding the availability of stands and its partnerships with these developers.
“Some residents have been on the housing waiting list for a very long time anticipating getting affordable housing stands from the council,” Moyo said.
"What was the Council's strategy in providing cheap and affordable housing stands or houses?"
Housing committee chairperson, councillor Ntombizodwa Khumalo, said the housing waiting list registration should be done online.
“All other information regarding housing should be online,” Khumalo said.
“There were a lot of corruption complaints raised against the housing and community services, especially in the allocation of stands.”
As of July 2025, a cumulative total of 154 793 forms had been captured into the AS400 computer system.
The minutes confirmed that this figure has since risen to 156 441 forms.
The council also acknowledged that many residents face financial challenges, and as a result, housing waiting list fees would be reviewed.
