Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
BEITBRIDGE Municipality says it has managed to address challenges associated with its billing system which had over the years affected its revenue collection from ratepayers.
Previously, bills would be delivered to consumers two or three months behind, which resulted in some residents either delaying in paying bills or resisting to pay at all.
It is understood that a functional billing system is crucial for local authorities as it directly impacts revenue collection, financial stability and the ability to provide essential services.
In addition, it ensures accurate billing, efficient payment processing, and facilitates informed decision-making based on reliable financial data.
Town Clerk, Mr Loud Ramakgapola, said they had now managed to bring the billing system up to date and bills were now being delivered on time.
In a presentation made on his behalf by planning officer Mr Andrew Sibindi during a stakeholders interactive meeting, he said they had noted that in some cases, late or missing notices had resulted in missed payment deadlines, further exacerbating the municipality’s revenue collection woes.
At the moment, the cash-strapped municipality is struggling to collect revenue, affecting its ability to provide essential services to residents.
“We have had issues with our billing system, but we have managed to overcome the challenges and now our bills are up to date. We billed June on the 5th of July,” said Mr Ramakgapola.
“However, our challenge is the illegal houses built which are yet to be included on our database for billing purposes. We are currently working on addressing this issue as a matter of urgency”.
He said in the first quarter of this year they billed a total of ZiG31, 150, 665.05 and only managed to collect a total of ZiG13, 951, 438.54 translating to 45 percent.
Mr Ramakgapola said things had improved in the second quarter where they collected 74 percent (ZiG15, 312, 226.14) from the ZiG20, 613, 081.02 they had billed.
However, he expressed concern over the low budget performance of 27.1 percent in the first six months of this year (2025).
“The municipality has an approved budget of ZiG 406 942 125.42 with majority of the items being financed by Central Government and that its budget performance for the first six months stood at 27.1 percent despite an average collection rate of 59.5 percent from own source of funds i.e 45 percent first quarter and 75 percent second quarter,” said Mr Ramakgapola.
He also attributed the low budget performance to the effects of delayed disbursal of devolution and Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) funds by the Government.
The revenue shortfall was affecting the municipality’s ability to maintain essential services, such as water supply, waste management, and road maintenance.
The town clerk said funds owed to the municipality continued to increase every month, with debtors in the high-density suburbs taking the lead at ZiG44 million in the last six months.
