Zimpapers Logo

Bulawayo is reported to have issued about 3,000 final demand notices to residents with outstanding bills and this operation has so far covered four suburbs. Most of the residents in the affected suburbs have been issued with these letters of demand. The council resorted to this legal route after the High Court barred local authorities from disconnecting water to force residents to pay outstanding bills. The council is giving residents up to seven days to clear the outstanding bills and has threatened to hand over the defaulters to debt collectors.

In June 2013 council cancelled $46 million it was owed by residents following a directive from the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Dr Ignatius Chombo. Most residents stopped paying their bills following the cancellation and by October 2013 the residents’ debt had ballooned to $19 million.

The council is now owed more than $70 million by its ratepayers who include residents as well as industry and commerce. The council is as a result failing to meet its financial obligations such as paying salaries as well as its service providers. This is probably why council has resorted to issuing letters of final demand to its residents to force them to pay outstanding bills.

Residents have an obligation to pay bills so that council can continue to provide services such as pumping water to residents’ homes, refuse collection and other such services. The council is supposed to buy water treatment chemicals and pay its service providers such as Zesa. It is a fact that most of the residents are finding it difficult to make ends meet and most of them have been forced to forgo luxuries.

Some of the residents cannot even afford basics such as paying school fees, buying clothes and even paying rentals.

Bulawayo was the worst hit when it comes to closure of companies following the economic meltdown the country experienced during the last decade and as such most of its residents are out of employment. The city is estimated to have lost more than 20,000 jobs following the closure of companies.

The situation was worsened by some companies that decided to relocate to other cities and towns. Most residents have therefore turned to the informal sector where they are realising very little a month hence most of them are failing to pay their bills.

We are not opposed to council’s decision to resort to taking legal action against defaulters but giving residents only seven days to pay outstanding bills is not feasible. What this means is that very few residents will be able to meet the council deadline and if council goes ahead to hand over the defaulters to debt collectors, this will only worsen the residents’ plight.

We are therefore appealing to council to come up with alternative methods of compelling residents to clear their arrears. Council and defaulters should come up with payment plans based on individual’s source of income.

There are residents who can immediately clear their arrears while others need time to pay which could stretch for months.

Residents on their part should make a commitment to clear the arrears and once they agree with council on the payment plan, they should abide by that agreement. We have already stated that residents have an obligation to pay for services rendered to enable council to continue to provide services.

It is residents who are always complaining of poor services yet it is non-payment for services which is directly to blame for the deteriorating services.

Council cannot be expected to provide efficient services when it has no money. We want to implore council and residents to come up with workable plan to clear the arrears so that residents can continue enjoying the good services.