admin
Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
GWERU City Council has engaged residents and companies to immediately work out payment plans for their bills which have risen to $62 million in the past eight months from $55 million.
Gweru Mayor Councillor Josiah Makombe said while council considered massive water disconnections to defaulters, the local authority is still smarting from the loss of eight lives due to typhoid and therefore could not afford to cut water supplies. He said the local authority is collecting $1,4 million per month against a monthly salary bill of $1,2 million, leaving a shortfall of over $700 000 per month and therefore the engagement of residents and companies so that they make payments plans to settle their bills.
“We are in the process of engaging residents and other stakeholders to come up with payment plans towards settling of their debts. We are owed about $62 million and we need to recover than money to improve service delivery.
“We can’t afford the water disconnection route to force them to settle their debts because we are still counting our losses following the typhoid outbreak which left over 2 000 in need of treatment and eight residents dead,” said Cllr Makombe.
In June the local authority issued 2 378 summons to defaulting residents through the Clerk of Court in a drive to force residents and companies settle their debts.
However, a few responded to the summons.
Cllr Makombe said non-payment of water and rates by residents and companies was negatively affecting day-to-day operations of the council which he said is failing to meet its service delivery obligations.
“Critical service delivery issues like water supply, roads rehabilitation, sewer reticulation and solid waste management have been negatively affected by non-payment of the council debt. This has derailed Gweru City’s mission of quality services to residents and all stakeholders,” he said.
Cllr Makombe urged residents and companies to pay their rates and clear their debts so that the local authority is able to provide services.
Online Reporter