In a shocking and widely condemned move, the Bulawayo City Council is proposing a tax on residents who install solar panels, citing alleged fire risks. In a country plagued by chronic power outages, the proposal has sparked widespread outrage, with many residents calling it punitive, ridiculous, and tone-deaf.
In the last week, the council has floated the idea of a bill that would effectively penalize residents seeking relief from the unreliable national electricity grid by slapping them with additional fees for taking matters into their own hands. The reasoning? That solar panels and batteries present a fire hazard — a claim that residents and analysts alike have dismissed as baseless and opportunistic.
Report Focus News spoke to several Bulawayo residents who expressed deep anger and frustration over what they believe is an attempt by the city to squeeze more money out of already overburdened citizens.
“This proposal is criminal,” said Mtulisi Ngwenya, a long-time resident of Bulawayo. “There are no statistics or data from the council showing that fires caused by solar panels have increased in this city. This is just another attempt to tax us for solving problems that the authorities have failed to fix.”
Sehlapi Gumbo of Nkulumane didn’t hold back in his criticism:
“The council should be ashamed of itself. Their fire department can’t even put out house fires. We’ve seen fire trucks arrive with no water, no proper gear — only for firefighters to stand by and watch people’s homes burn. Now they want to lecture us about fire safety?”
Others see the proposed tax as not only unfair but also misguided and poorly thought out.
“Why is the city council focusing on punishing the very people who are doing their best to survive in a collapsing system?” asked Lindani Dlodlo, a resident of Malindela. “This is private property. If something happens, it’s between the resident and their insurance company. What business is it of the city council? This smells like a desperate, illegal cash grab.”
At a time when the national electricity supply is erratic, with long hours of load shedding, solar energy has become a lifeline for many households and businesses. Instead of being celebrated or supported for embracing renewable, independent energy sources, Bulawayo residents now face the threat of being taxed for self-reliance.
Critics argue that the council should focus on improving its own service delivery, including fire response systems, water provision, and refuse collection, before targeting citizens who are finding sustainable and responsible ways to cope.
As the debate gains momentum, civil society organisations and legal experts are calling on residents to mobilise and resist the proposal, which they argue violates principles of fair taxation and undermines green energy initiatives.
The Bulawayo City Council has yet to issue a formal statement justifying its position with any data or legal clarity. But for now, residents seem united in their stance:
“Taxing solar panels is not just anti-poor and anti-progress — it’s anti-common sense.”
#NoToSolarTax #BulawayoSpeaks #SolarIsNotACrime #HandsOffOurPanels #TaxReliefNotPunishment #ZimbabweEnergyJustice #CitizensFirst