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Walter Mswazie in Masvingo
MASVINGO City Council has unleashed debt collectors on residents with outstanding water bills to recover about $50 million in unpaid rates.
This comes in the wake of a breakdown at Bushmead Intake tower, which has resulted in some properties on high ground going for three weeks without water.
Mayor, Councillor Collen Maboke said council was collecting 63 percent of the monthly target revenue, a development that was crippling service delivery.
He said Government departments owed the city about $27 million and the local authority had resolved to hand them over to debt collectors.
“We have handed over all defaulting residents to our debt collectors, as we seek to recover our money amounting to ZWL$49, 204,619.36.
“We are unable to effectively deliver service because of the money that we are owed by our residents,” said Cllr Maboke.
The mayor said repeated efforts to encourage residents, businesses and Government departments to pay up have not paid dividends.
Masvingo United Ratepayers and Residents Alliance (MURRA) spokesperson, Mr Godfrey Mutimba criticised the idea of handing over defaulting residents to debtors.
“We have noted with concern that the local authority has unleashed its debt collector, Makausi and Saratoga Legal Practitioners on defaulters.
“We are told the debt collectors are even threatening to get residents arrested over outstanding debts. As representatives of residents, we ask council to allow the residents some time to pay up their dues, in instalments.
“We all know things are not rosy out there, no one has money and the cost of living is now beyond many people’s reach.
“Council is doing this when residents grapple with incessant water cuts due to a serious breakdown at the Bushmead Water Works. The water situation needs to be addressed,” said Mr Mutimba.
Online Reporter