…threatens to unleash debt collector to recover development levies
Beatific Gumbwanda
Chiredzi Rural District Council (CRDC) has given commercial sugarcane farmers a 21-day ultimatum to clear their land development levies before the local authority engages debt collectors to recover close to US$2 million land development Levy.
Chiredzi Rural District Council (CRDC) recently held what they called the last and final meeting with commercial sugarcane farmers at the local authority’s boardroom informing them of their decision to engage debt collectors to recover over US$1.5 million of land development levies which they had not been paying since 2017.
CRDC Chairperson, Aspect Mashingaidze said farmers were not committed to paying up their debts and they were now engaging the debt collectors to recover debts incurred from 2023 backward.
“Farmers need to be responsible. If we just end this meeting thinking that you will commit yourselves to paying, no one will come back for that, it’s been years since you have been dodging your bills. Tokugadzirirai road nemari yani? (We maintain roads using whose money?) It’s just US$5 per hectare and a farmer with 20 hectares should be paying only US$100 per year.
“Now it seems like it’s a huge debt but it’s because it is being backdated to 2017, with the biggest debtor owing the local authority US$2100. We are not turning a blind eye to that, debt collectors are going to be engaged.
“We will only spare those who will come and commit themselves and make a payment plan. We are giving you up until the first of March 2024 to make commitments before we engage the services of debt collectors, “said Mashingaidze.
Speaking during the meeting, CRDC Accountant Misheck Kutumba said only a few farmers who committed themselves since 2014 were the ones who were still paying their land development levies which he said were meant for the development of roads, schools, clinics, and water systems among others.
“We had several meetings with sugarcane farmers and they have been asking for leverages since then but they still fail to pay. Only a few farmers were paying since 2014 are the ones who are still committing themselves.
“This levy is meant for your development in areas such as roads, schools, clinics, and water. We have cholera, bad roads, bad health centers, and no safe drinking water as most are drinking from canals and the council is the one with the mandate to develop such areas. This can be managed if farmers pay their levies. You can afford to pay but you are just not willing to do it, “said Kutumba.
One successful commercial farmer, Karakadzai Kanda who attended the meeting urged fellow farmers to pay up to get better services and urged the local authority to continue reminding farmers of their obligation to pay for the land development levy saying they had several other bills to pay and may end up forgetting about the land development levies.
“Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo and we need to contribute much towards such. Where can they get the money for development if we are not paying our levies?
“On the other hand, Council should always remind farmers of their obligations to pay for the levies because many can be forgetful of their obligation to be doing such,” said Kanda.
