Melinda Kusemachibi
Masvingo City councilors recently clashed over the best course of action against government institutions namely the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Service (ZPCS) over their ballooning debts to the local authority.
In a full council meeting held on April 20 at the Civic Centre, councilors squabbled over the issue with Masvingo mayor Cllr Collen Maboke proposing to name and shame the debtors while ward 10 councilor Sengerai Manyanga whose ward covers 4 Infantry Brigade said the decision will put him under fire from ZNA.
Maboke said they should name and shame the debtors as the public deserve to know those who are responsible for poor service delivery.
“These institutions owe council a lot of money but the people out there do not know how much. I think is it best if we name and shame or even publish their dues in a newspapers,” suggested Maboke.
“We want to publish in newspapers those institutions that owe council since it affects service delivery and residents blame council. These institutions owe us a lot of money and if they were paying, we could probably have 10 refuse compactors, as you can see we do not have enough compactors,” said Maboke.
Manyanga refused to name and shame the debtors as it is reported that they are in good relations with the Army.
“No we should not name and shame then munenge mandiuraisa (you would have placed me in a difficult position), the Army sometimes calls me at their camp saying councilor how is everything doing so do not name and shame them, I will be in hot soup,” said Manyanga.
He also said that the Army is paying up their rates.
“Army is paying up their rates this month they paid ZW$15 million. Other institutions are not paying, but the army is paying,” Manyanga said.
However Deputy Mayor Wellington Mahwende said that they are going to engage with the office of Minister for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira.
“We want to engage the office of Minister Chadzamira on how best we can resolve the matter. It is a suggestion we make together as councilors. We once did it and it was effective. It is not only big institutions that are owing council, even individuals are owing the local authority,” said Mahwende.
In previous years council threatened to unleash debt collectors on institutions.
Several schools, ZRP, ZNA among other debtors owe council a total of ZW$202 975 443, 66 while residents, various organizations and institutions have debt arrears of about ZW$707 900 215, 77.
