The Sunday News
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
VICTORIA Falls City Council has collected more than $6 million revenue since the local authority started disconnecting defaulting ratepayers more than a month ago.
Commercial properties in the central business district and high density residents were the biggest defaulters.
The cash strapped council embarked on a disconnection exercise targeting ratepayers who owe more than 90 days debt, in a bid to recover more than $476 million in unpaid water bills and other rates.
The local authority management has said the accumulating debt has crippled services as it cannot acquire critical components such as electricity and water chemicals whose prices keep rising.
Before the disconnection exercise targeting residents, industrial and commercial users, the council had been collecting a mere $47 million per month against expenditure of $90 million hence the resolution on November 10 last year to disconnect debtors owing more than three months in unpaid water bills. Some residents had last paid their bills in 2011 and this had compromised service delivery.
Responding to questions, the local authority management said some of the debtors have come forward to clear their debts.
“The ongoing water disconnections have so far received a positive response with a number of people coming through for payments.
So far since the beginning of the exercise the following summary details the number of properties disconnected between January 2022 and February 2022,” said the council.
The local authority said 106 commercial properties owing a combined $33,029,962.07 in the central business district and industrial area were being targeted and have paid $4 493 679.62 so far.
About 74 commercial properties in the high density suburbs were being targeted and $290,000 of the total $9,128,761.42 owed has been paid so far. Sixteen lodges were being targeted with a total debt of $5,762,914.09 have paid a combined $1,121,964.92 so far.
In the high density, 553 properties in Mkhosana owed $27 596 179.10 and of these, 66 have been reconnected after paying $1 042 153.75.
The council said on the week ending 18 February, 341 disconnection notices had been sent to low density properties who owe a total of $8,268,714.02 and $329,731.83 has been paid so far.
Council is owed $476 617 962.16. In the past two years, residents have claimed their failure to pay bills and rates was a result of the Covid-19 pandemic which left them incapacitated because of effects on the tourism industry which is the city’s mainstay.
Following the start of the disconnection exercise, some sections of residents have been accusing the local authority of being inconsiderate saying people were failing to pay because rates are too exorbitant.
Victoria Falls Combined Resident Association (VIFACORA) chairman Mr Kelvin Moyo has encouraged residents to pay up bills or make payment plans for the local authority to be able to deliver quality services.
“Victoria Falls was affected by Covid-19 and we appreciate that the situation is bad not only for the residents but every institution.
“What we can say is that residents should go to the council and make payment plans which at the end of the day will become a form of commitment to pay.
“Anyone who says residents should not pay anything is politicking and is not objective because anyone who is objective should know that council should be in a position to provide service if payments are being made,” Mr Moyo said. — @ncubeleon
