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| City of Masvingo Acting Town Clerk Edward Mukaratirwa |
Mark
Chavunduka
MASVINGO—
The City of Masvingo has called on residents
with outstanding bills to approach the local authority and make payment plans
to avoid being disconnected.
There was groundswell of anger and discontent when
the city council announced that it was going to disconnect residents with
outstanding bills despite the local authority’s failure to provide adequate
water supply to residents.
Acting Town Clerk Edward Mukaratirwa said residents
should not let their bills balloon but should approach the council and commit
to payment plans so that service delivery can run smoothly.
Mukaratirwa said the residents have responded
positively to the call for payment plans saying that water will not be
disconnected once a payment plan has been agreed on.
“When
we said we were going to disconnect residents with arrears there were a lot of
cries but we are an open council and open for negotiations.
“Residents
should come and make their payment plans. We know some bills have been nursed
for far too long and can be difficult to settle at once hence the need for
payment plans. The council needs money to operate and that can only be possible
if residents play their part.
“I
can say that people are responding well to the payment plans and more should
come. During the first 6 months, council was in a deficit of $131, 2 million
rising from an opening balance of $50, 4 million but after the introduction of
the payment plans the revenue collection has increased to more than $6 million
from collections dated October 26,” said Mukaratirwa.
The
council was under attack from the Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers
Alliance (Murra) who questioned why the local authority was disconnecting water
from residents without the provision payment plans.
Murra
director Anoziva Muguti said he was grateful towards the payment plan and have encouraged
residents to live up to their commitments.
“We
are happy the council has responded positively to our calls and now it is up to
the residents to approach the council and commit to payment plans.
“Residents
should make sure that they honor the agreement. We know residents are facing
difficult times in the face of Covid-19 lockdown but they have to commit the
little they have towards payment of their bills for services to continue,” said
Muguti.
The
payment plans stretch to a period of six months.
Government
departments are the heaviest debtors with the police, army and prisons owing
the council in excess of $30 million.
