Chipinge Town Council owed $1,6m

Luthando Mapepa
CASH-STRAPPED Chipinge Town Council is struggling to collect $1,6 million it is owed by residents and the business community at a time when the council is facing challenges in improving service delivery in the agricultural town. The town council, which is urging rates defaulters to make payment plans, has hired the services of debt collectors in a bid to recover the money it is being owed.

Speaking during a stakeholders meeting at Chipinge Junior School last Friday, the town secretary Ms Susan Dube, said collection of revenue remained a stumbling block in improving service delivery.

She urged all defaulters to be responsible citizens by approaching the local authority offices and make payment plans on their outstanding arrears.
“As the council, we have various projects we need to implement and finish, but revenue collection is a problem as residents are not complying.
“The council can’t operate without money and we are urging resident and the business community to be responsible citizens.

“The council needs to raise money to end erratic water supplies in Chipinge’s high-density Gaza suburb by installing new pipelines.
“We expect to finish the project by end of August.

“The new pipeline will be upgraded from 150mm to 300mm to ensure constant water supplies to the suburb,” she said.