NEW: Council issues over 3 000 summons to debtors

Online Reporter

HARARE City Council has issued more than 3 000 court summons to residents and businesses to recover part of ZiG 940 million (about US$70 million) it is owed in unpaid rates.

The local authority has also issued 1 000 letters of final demand to ratepayers with overdue balances exceeding 60 days.

In an interview with The Sunday Mail Online, Harare City Council head of corporate communications Mr Stanley Gama encouraged those with overdue balances to settle them in 14 days or risk being taken to court.

“As of this week, more than 3 000 court summons have been issued,” he said. “We will continue to issue summons to those owing the council in order to boost revenue collection and improve service delivery.”

Besides issuing summons, the city council has adopted a strategy of naming and shaming debtors.

Mr Gama said a list of those resisting paying will be published next week.

“By next week we will be publishing the list of the so-called big companies and prominent people who have not been cooperating,” he said.