Council writes off bills

Temba Dube Senior Reporter
THE Bulawayo City Council has started complying with the Government’s directive to write off bills accumulated by residents in the last four years. The development comes at a time when the Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (UCAZ), which last week vowed to defy the directive, has backed down on its stance.

UCAZ members are urban councils that were run by MDC-T councillors until after the just-ended harmonised elections when the party lost its majority in some of the councils.

The Government order only applies to residents’ bills.
Companies are expected to pay their bills in full or make payment arrangements with local authorities where necessary.
In an interview yesterday, Bulawayo City Council’s senior public relations officer, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu, said the local authority started cancelling residents’ debts over the weekend.

“We have initiated the procedure to comply with the Government’s directive to write off bills. So far, we are cancelling solid waste, rent and unit tax, also known as Value Added Tax (Vat),” said Mrs Mpofu.
She said the procedure should begin reflecting on residents’ bills next month.

Contacted for comment, UCAZ chairperson Alderman Femias Chakabuda said it was up to individual councils to make their own decisions regarding the issue.
“As an executive, we are not defying the order. Local authorities will make their own decisions as soon as councillors are sworn in and mayors are chosen,” said Ald Chakabuda.

Last week, he said urban councils would not comply with the order issued by Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo because it was impractical.

Harare City Council, Masvingo Municipality and Masvingo Rural District Council have already complied.
Over the weekend, Dr Chombo said Government would fire any council official or councillor who defied the order.

The directive dated 23 July reads; “It has become apparent that the economy has not been operating optimally and in the process relentlessly unleashing severe hardships on the citizenry. Thus from 2009, ratepayers have not been able to meet their obligations in terms of payment of taxes, rentals, levies and related charges resulting in an enormous and crippling debt burden frustrating the majority of the population.

“Given the above circumstances, all local authorities are in terms of Section 133 of the Rural District Councils Act (Chapter 29:13) as read with Section 303 of the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29:15) directed to write off debts in respect of rentals, unit tax, development levies, licences and refuse charges owed by individual ratepayers as at 30 June 2013. In the same vein, money owed by residents for rates, stands prescribed in terms of the Prescription Act (Chapter 8:13) as from February, 2009 to 30 June, 2013.”

The directive is meant to bring relief to millions of Zimbabweans who have been economically disempowered by illegal sanctions imposed by Western countries at the instigation of MDC-T in its bid to force regime change.

The Government has said the directive is irreversible.
Bill arrears in Harare stand at about $400 million, in Bulawayo residents owe council $100 million, residents owe Mutare City Council $20 million while in Kwekwe, unpaid bills amount to about $9,5 million.

Bulawayo residents have applauded Minister Chombo for coming to their rescue.
Residents have urged the Government to also direct utilities such as Zesa and TelOne to also write off debts.