Harare evicts tenants

Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
Harare City Council has started evicting over 100 tenants from its rented properties in high density suburbs of Highfield and Glen Norah over debts amounting to more than $10 million.

Council says residents in Highfield owe $6 million while those in Glen Norah owe over $5 million. In Highfield businesses owe council $1, 2 million while those in Glen Norah owe $1,3 million.

The residents were served with eviction and attachment of property letters on Monday this week.

Council told The Herald that some of its tenants have not paid a cent since debt write off in 2013. The tenants allege that they were paying their rentals to council but the municipality was not making deductions on their accounts.

Most of council houses are derelict as it is failing to maintain them. Council corporate communications manager Mr Michael Chideme confirmed the municipality was owed millions by tenants.

“We are owed a lot of money by customers ,which we are supposed to collect. We use various methods to collect what is owed to us. The money is for service delivery. Residents should come forward and make payment plans with us and respect the same plans,” he said.

“Council built those houses to generate revenue for service delivery.”

On allegations that some of the tenants paid, but the money was not deducted from their accounts, Mr Chideme urged them to bring the evidence to council for reconciliation.

A tenant in Geneva, Highfield, Mr Cleopas Chikwendane said council was charging higher rates for his apartment compared to other houses of the same type in the area.

He said this resulted in his rental arrears ballooning to $4 000, leading to the removal of his property. He said the property was only returned following the intervention of the local Member of Parliament.

Most of the residents complained that the houses were in a state of disrepair and did not have basic facilities including water supplies. The Combined Harare Residents Association said it was seeking legal advice in a bid to assist the affected tenants.