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Freedom Mupanedemo Midlands Bureau
Gweru City Council has given its debtors up the end of this month to come up with payment plans, failing which the local authority will engage lawyers and attach property. The cash-strapped local authority is owed over $25 million in unpaid rates by both the residents and industry. In a statement, TownClerk Ms Elizabeth Gwatipedza said those owing council should come up with a payment plan on or before November 30 2017.

“We advise residents and industry owing council in unpaid rates to approach our finance department so that they come up with payment plans. The council will take legal action in bid to recover the debt from those who fail to comply,” read the statement.

As part of its 2018 budget proposals, Gweru City Council said it will improve revenue collection through its legal department to make sure residents and industry serviced their bills. In an interview yesterday, Gweru United Progressive Residents’ and Ratepayers Association Trust (GUPRRA) director Mr David Chikore said they have since written to council appealing to have the November 30 deadline extended. He said residents were willing to cooperate through servicing their bills, but felt they were being shortchanged and forced to pay for what they did not consume.

“We have read about the notice that the city council flighted in newspapers urging us to come up with payment plans on or before November 30, 2017. We have responded to it by writing to council. Inasmuch as we want to cooperate, we have some queries which need to be clarified hence we feel the November 30 deadline is not feasible,” he said. Mr Chikore said both industry and residents were disputing the varying amounts of money council claimed it was being owed because most of the bills were based on estimates.

“One biggest question that our council has failed to answer over the years is the basis at which they used to come up with their bills. The bills which they now want to force us to accept by committing ourselves to a payment plan are based on estimates,” he said. Mr Chikore said by accepting to pay through the crafting of a payment plan, council will have a strong legal basis to sue defaulters.

“The bone of contention is that council charges us by way of estimates. We do not think what they claim we owe them is true. So, by merely committing ourselves to a payment plan, we would have put ourselves in a trap,” he said. Mr Chikore said council should reach out to people first and engage them before forcing them to commit themselves.