Gweru Residents Commit to Clearing Their Debt

GWERU – Residents of the Midlands provincial capital, Gweru, in an act that shows relative responsibility, have committed to clearing their debt with the local authority.

At a recent meeting organised by the Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association, residents resolved to settle their February bills by 10 March 2017.

The Gweru City Council (GCC) has been at loggerheads with its residents over the latter’s failure to honour monthly financial obligations to the city which, in turn, impacts negatively

on service delivery.

GCC is owed over US$20 million by residents and corporates.

Residents, who have, over the years, accumulated a debt with the local authority, have been accusing the city fathers of using a skewed billing system.

In an attempt to recover what it is owed, GCC notified debtors of its intention to hand them over to the lawyers, prompting the resident’s association to engage the city over the matter.

A recent meeting between resident’s associations and Town Clerk, Elizabeth Gwatipedza, and Chamber Secretary, Vakai Chikwekwe, resolved that GCC will hold back the final letters of demand to the residents from the city’s legal practitioners.

“We are prepared to pay the little that we get until we clear the debt,” said one resident.