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From Tawanda Mangoma in CHIREDZI
Chiredzi Town Council is owed over $5 million in unpaid rates by residents and businesses, a development that continues to cripple service delivery.

With some workers owed between four to six months’ salaries, the council said it had started taking clients, especially the business community, to the courts to recover the money. Town secretary Mr Charles Muchatukwa said revenue collection was dwindling, as they were failing to collect reasonable amounts.

He said residents and some businesspeople were failing to abide by their payment plans, a development leaving council in serious financial stress. “Our revenue base continues to dwindle every month,” he said. “We are collecting about 25 percent of our anticipated monthly revenue and this is affecting council in its day-to-day operations.”

As of Wednesday last week, the council was owed over $5 million by residents, schools, industry and Government departments. “We are owed $3 047 025 by the business community, residents owe us $836 684, Government departments owe us $750 887, while schools and markets collectively owe us $1 128 962,” said Mr Muchatukwa.

He said residents had improved on settling their dues after council threatened to disconnect services. “I would like to commend our residents; they have improved payment when it comes to settling their dues,” he said. “Last year, they owed us nearly $2 million. We continue to urge them to keep funds coming so that we improve service delivery.”

Chiredzi Town Council chairman Councillor Francis Moyo said council had a backlog of about five months in employee salaries.