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Michael Magoronga Midlands Correspondent
Kwekwe City Council has engaged debt collectors in a bid to recover over $43 million the local authority is owed by companies and individual ratepayers. Mutatu and Partners Legal Practitioners on behalf of Kwekwe City Council, have been distributing letters advising ratepayers to settle outstanding bills within a week.

“We are instructed to demand as we hereby do, payment together with our collection commission within seven days hereof. If you fail to do so we shall proceed to court without further notice,” read the letter signed by Ms Primrose Mutatu.

Kwekwe Town Clerk Mr Emmanuel Musara said the local authority was operating on a shoestring budget.

“We need to improve service delivery and ratepayers have to play their part by paying what they owe council. We were left with no option but to engage our lawyers over the non-payment of rates by the residents and companies,” he said.

Kwekwe city treasurer Ms Rejoice Maweni said Ziscosteel owed council over $16 million and Redcliff Municipality $3,1 million. Households owe council $24 million and schools $71 000.

“Redcliff Municipality had promised to pay $40 000 every month, but unfortunately they are not paying anything towards offsetting their bill that has since ballooned from $2 million to $3,1 million,” she said. Schools are also not settling their bills.

“Amaveni High owes council $18 000, Emthonjeni has $12 000 and Kushinga Primary owes $10 000. Seriously, inasmuch as we want to deliver the service, everyone should be play their part,” said Ms Maweni.

She said council had already engaged councillors to engage schools and urge them to offset their bills to ensure improved service delivery.

Council has also introduced a number of strategies including launching a mobile application to try and boost its coffers.

“As part of easy of doing business, we recently launched a mobile application that ratepayers can download on their phones and use to pay bills, enquire balance or lodge a complaint like refuse or water pipe bursts among other services,” said Ms Maweni.