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Heather Charema Mash West Correspondent
The MDC-T-led Chegutu municipality is struggling to pay its workers who have now gone for more than eight months without receiving their salaries. The Chegutu Municipality finance department confirmed that council owed its employees more than $1,2m in unpaid salaries.

The situation is, however, being affected by a huge debt owed by its residents and ratepayers reaching more than $20 million.

Chegutu proposed a $6m budget for 2018. Chegutu municipality director of financial services Mr Tongai Mandude confirmed the salaries arrears which he attributed to a gap in payment patterns.

“I can confirm that workers have gone for eight months now without receiving their salaries and this is quite unfortunate. Circumstances surrounding the non-payment of salaries are that our ratepayers owe council a total of $20 375 000 of which about $8m is for stand sales, leaving about $12.375 million for rates, service charges, sewer, water and refuse collection.”

He said residents and ratepayers are expecting a debt write off like what happened in 2013 with the Chegutu municipality writing off about $5.6 million owed by the ratepayers.

“Residents and ratepayers are paying an average of 48 percent of what council is billing, thus for every dollar billed only 0.48 cents is collected. This gap in payment pattern results in the building up of the salaries arrears,” Mr Mandude said.

Combined Chegutu Residents and Ratepayers Association chairman Mr Moffat Tembo said the failure by council to pay its workers was compromising quality service delivery to all residents.