The Sunday News
Walter Mswazie in Masvingo
MASVINGO City Council has resolved to unleash debt collectors on defaulting residents and institutions to recover more that $48 million it is owed by residents and companies in the city.
According to the last council meeting report, the local authority is owed $48 562 298 in outstanding water bills as at September last year of which $27 525 313 is owed by institutions. In an interview last week, acting Town Clerk Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa confirmed that council was shortlisting debt collectors to help the local authority recover the money. He said some residents have not paid their dues since 2015 and this was affecting service delivery and implementation of projects.
“We have resolved as council, to engage debt collectors to help council recover outstanding debts from defaulting residents. We are going to implement this anytime from now as we are currently identifying a debt collector to do the job,” he said.
He said the defaulting residents and institutions have been served with letters of demand on a number of occasions but chose to ignore them.
“When our clients fail to pay and yet continue to enjoy the same services as those who are loyal, it means they are being subsidised and that is not proper. We have a lot of financial commitments to fulfil as the city but we are found wanting because of our failure to collect revenue. As it stands our revenue collection rate stands at an average of 70 percent instead of 100 percent. We also need to buy water treatment chemicals every month as well as paying Zesa for supplying power.”
However, Masvingo United Ratepayers and Residents Alliance (MURRA) spokesperson Mr Godfrey Mutimba expressed concern over the hard stance the city intends to take to recover the money.
“Council should instead engage residents over unpaid bills than engaging debt collectors. Their defaulting is not deliberate but they are incapacitated by the prevailing economic hardships. Most of them are no longer working. Instead, council should give residents grace periods or agree on payment plans,” said Mr Mutimba.
Meanwhile, residents of Runyararo West Suburb in the city may endure stench smell and pollution much longer as council has failed to decommission a condemned dumpsite and set a new one citing lack of funding amounting to $1,2 million.
The condemned dumpsite is situated within a residential area and has become a breeding ground for flies and other disease vectors. Council was allocated a piece of land measuring 10 hectares in Cambira Farm by Government but has failed to develop it. Deputy Mayor Councillor Wellington Mahwende said council was still seized with the project but facing financial challenges.
