Residents owe Gweru $58m

Midlands Correspondent
Money owed to Gweru City Council by residents and businesses is continuing to balloon due to non-payment of rates.
Over the past four months, the debt has increased from $55 million as at March 26 this year to $58 million this month.

In an interview recently, the city’s spokesperson, Mr Manford Gambiza, said non-payment of water and rates by residents and companies negatively affected operations of the council, which was now failing to meet its service delivery targets.

“We are owed over $58 million by residents and companies and instead of the debt decreasing it is inflating, however, we continue working towards recovering the debt through the revenue enhancement team, which was put in place sometime ago,” he said.

He said the debt was negatively affecting the service delivery as they also owed $45 million to some service providers.
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 overturned Gweru City’s mission of quality services to residents and all stakeholders since the non-payment of the debt is affecting the management and distribution of services,” said Mr Gambiza.

“As council, we are currently owing more that $45 million to our service providers and it has affected water supply, road rehabilitation, sewer reticulation and solid waste management.”

Mr Gambiza said service delivery would improve if residents and companies cleared their debts.
“Residents and companies that owe the council are encouraged to come forward and make payment plans so that the service delivery can improve,” he said.

Mr Gambiza said the revenue enhancement team extended discounts to residents and companies who were willing to settle their debts as part of its efforts to recover the debt.

“There are discounts on offer for those paying their debts in full or making payment plans,” he said.
“So, we urge residents and companies to come forward and settle their debts.”