News / National
Council unleashes debt collectors
06 Jul 2021 at 05:29hrs | Views
HARARE City Council has unleashed debt collectors on bad debtors owing in excess of $7,2 billion in unpaid rates.
The city has been dogged by poor service delivery at a time when government departments, corporates and individuals are owing huge amounts of money in unpaid rates.
Acting mayor Stewart Mutizwa yesterday said the city had agreed payment terms with government, although he could not disclose the amount involved.
"With government, we have come to terms and they have started paying up. With other entities and individuals, we have given them a month to finalise, and failure to do that, we are sending to debt collectors to them," Mutizwa told NewsDay.
The issue of debt collectors has been an emotive one in the capital after residents protested the move, insisting they would not pay for non-existent services.
Council also accused the power utility, Zesa, of being unreasonable by switching off Morton Jaffray Waterworks recently over unpaid debts.
Mutizwa yesterday said the issue had also been resolved. "That one was settled. Zesa owes us a lot in terms of the infrastructure, the buildings and also the charges, and so it was very unreasonable for them to shut us down. That one has since been resolved."
The city has been dogged by poor service delivery at a time when government departments, corporates and individuals are owing huge amounts of money in unpaid rates.
Acting mayor Stewart Mutizwa yesterday said the city had agreed payment terms with government, although he could not disclose the amount involved.
"With government, we have come to terms and they have started paying up. With other entities and individuals, we have given them a month to finalise, and failure to do that, we are sending to debt collectors to them," Mutizwa told NewsDay.
The issue of debt collectors has been an emotive one in the capital after residents protested the move, insisting they would not pay for non-existent services.
Council also accused the power utility, Zesa, of being unreasonable by switching off Morton Jaffray Waterworks recently over unpaid debts.
Mutizwa yesterday said the issue had also been resolved. "That one was settled. Zesa owes us a lot in terms of the infrastructure, the buildings and also the charges, and so it was very unreasonable for them to shut us down. That one has since been resolved."
Source - newsday
