Bulawayo council backs down on attaching debtor's property

THE Bulawayo City Council Mayor, Councillor Thaba Moyo has advised that the city councils has stopped attaching debtors' property as a way of recovering money it is owed following an outcry by residents who said the move was meant to impoverish them.

Speaking at a residents meeting at Macdonald Hall in Mzilikazi on Sunday, Clr Moyo said the decision to suspend attaching residents' property was with immediate effect.

Clr Moyo said a caucus of councillors convened on Friday resolved to suspend attaching debtors' properties.

He said councillors resolved that they would have to negotiate with debtors and agree on payment plans instead of attaching property.

"We have to negotiate with the people who owe council and see how they can pay their outstanding bills. This issue of taking each other to debt collectors is bad and only big companies might have their properties attached," said Clr Moyo.

The council has been battling to recover about $62 million it is owed by residents and companies as well as government departments unpaid bills.

Domestic debtors owe council about $35 million, the Government about $3,9 million while the industrial and commercial debtors owe about $23 million.

In the past few weeks, the local authority launched a blitz against defaulters which saw property of 16 households' being attached and auctioned.