Gweru residents owe council ZWG700 million

Gweru City Council is battling a ballooning debt of ZWG700 million as residents, businesses and government departments fail to pay their bills, a situation officials say is crippling service delivery.

Council assistant finance director Owen Masimba said the debt had jumped by more than ZWG150 million in just two months, warning that the authority may be forced to attach properties of chronic defaulters if the situation persists.

"Gweru ratepayers owe council a staggering ZWG700 million in unpaid bills as of June 30, 2025, an increase of more than ZWG150 million in just two months. The ballooning debt is crippling the local authority's ability to provide essential services," he said.

High-density suburbs account for the biggest share of the debt at ZWG194 million, followed by government departments at ZWG121 million and commercial entities at ZWG99 million.

Masimba acknowledged the economic challenges faced by residents but stressed that council cannot deliver services without revenue. He urged defaulters to make use of flexible payment plans.

The debt crisis comes as Zimbabwe transitions from the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) to NDS2, which will guide economic planning from the 2026 National Budget.