Online Reporter
Freedom Mupanedemo, [email protected]
GWERU City Council has intensified debt recovery measures by disconnecting services and locking business premises belonging to ratepayers in arrears as it seeks to recover more than ZiG$927 million in unpaid water and rates bills.
Council spokesperson Ms Vimbai Chingwaramusee said the exercise targets both businesses and residents, who have failed to settle outstanding accounts despite repeated reminders.
As of February 28, the total debt owed to the local authority stood at ZiG$927 million.
“As a local authority, we are in the process of shutting down business premises, which are in arrears as we seek to recover over ZiG$920 million owed by businesses and residents in unpaid water and rates,” said Ms Chingwaramusee.
She said council officers are physically locking doors of defaulting business premises as part of the enforcement campaign.
“The campaign is aimed at us realising the staggering ZiG$927 million debt we are owed. This is our last resort since all these defaulters have been duly advised of the amounts they owe and the stages we are taking to recover what is due to us,” said Ms Chingwaramusee.
She said the local authority only resorts to physical lockouts after exhausting a structured debt recovery process.
“The businesses currently being targeted are those that have consistently ignored formal communication and account statements, refused to engage with the council regarding payment plans, and accumulated significant arrears despite receiving final demand letters,” said Ms Chingwaramusee.
According to the council, the blitz is being conducted in line with existing by-laws and aims to enforce compliance without damaging property.
Ms Chingwaramusee said the exercise is non-discriminatory and covers all categories of ratepayers, including industrial and commercial entities, Government departments and residential consumers.
“The local authority has to implement such debt collection measures to raise funds to improve service delivery.
Without these funds, essential service delivery — ranging from water provision to refuse collection — remains under threat,” she said.
In previous years, council engaged the Messenger of Court to attach and auction property belonging to chronic defaulters.
The latest enforcement drive comes as councils across the country continue to face growing financial pressure amid rising service delivery costs and low revenue inflows.
Bongani Ndlovu