BCC adopts US$224.7 million standstill Budget for 2026 

The Bulawayo City Council has approved a US$224.7 million standstill budget for 2026, amid growing calls from residents for improved water delivery, consistent medicine supplies at clinics, cleaner waste management and quicker action on sewer bursts.

The 2026 proposed budget was presented on Tuesday by the Chairperson of the Finance Committee, Councillor Dumisani Nkomo, during a full council meeting held at the council chambers.

“The proposed budget for 2026 is set at US$224.7 million. The proposed capital budget is set at US$67. 2 million constituting 29.9 percent of the total budget, with the revenue budget set at US$157.5 million constituting 70.1 percent,” Cllr Nkomo said.

He added that the capital budget for 2026, projected at US$67.2 million, will be funded through external resources, ZINARA allocations, devolution funds, grants, donations, public subscriptions (presale schemes) in various suburbs, the traditional beer levy, public-private partnerships and city parking revenue under TTI.

Cllr Nkomo said the recurrent expenditure towards water and sanitation will be US$47.5 million, while the capital expenditure has been set at US$22.8 million.

“The priorities that were set by the residents and stakeholders during the budget consultative meetings placed water at the top, followed by health, sewerage, housing, roads, education, public lighting, social services and fire and ambulances,” said the chairperson of the finance committee.

Cllr Nkomo highlighted that residents and stakeholders raised key issues during the consultative meetings and the 2026 budget will seek to address them.

“Your worship, key needs raised during consultation meetings were improvement in water supply hours, availability of medicines at clinics, eradicating pollution at the sanitary landfill site and swift response on sewer bursts,” he said.

“They further listed improvement in road traffic ability, enhancing security through installing public solar streetlights, provision of social amenities and facilities for the youth and enforcement of by-laws.”

The finance chairperson said the city is facing a worsening service delivery infrastructure decay such as water, sewerage, roads and social amenities hence the proposed budget seeks to address some of the infrastructure resuscitation needs.