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Tawanda Mangoma in Chiredzi
Operations at Chiredzi Town Council grounded after the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority garnished all its accounts over a debt of more than $1,2 million.

The council is accused of not paying tax since dollarisation in 2009.

The garnish comes as the local authority has also accumulated a six months’ salary backlog.

The local authority is owed more than $3,5 million by residents, Government departments and the business community.

Town secretary Mr Charles Muchatukwa, who said he was on leave, last week referred all questions to town engineer Weslie Kauma.

Eng Kauma confirmed that the garnish order had paralysed council operations.

He said council had since engaged zimra for a payment plan so that service delivery could be restored in Chiredzi.

“We are grounded, our accounts are empty after zimra garnished all accounts,” he said. “We have no money to buy diesel. Our refuse trucks are parked and we have since stopped rehabilitating our roads.”

The roads rehabilitation programme was underway in all of Chiredzi wards.

“We even failed to pay workers’ salaries,” said Eng Kauma. “It is just a mess.”

Eng Kauma said council had submitted all the paperwork required by zimra for a possible payment plan.

Chiredzi Town Council chairman Councillor Francis Moyo said zimra arrears dated back to 2009.

“When Government scrapped bills, zimra maintained our credits and that has caused all this,” he said. “We hope everything will be addressed as quickly as possible for the resumption of service delivery.”