HLB warns property and dog owners.

HWANGE Local Board (HLB) has warned property owners who have defaulted on their
rate payments for more than 120 days.
In a Press statement the Acting Town Secretary Paulos Mabhureni, said the final letters
will be issued through legal channels.
“Failure to respond to the final demand letter might culminate in summons being issued
leading to attachment of movable and immovable property of the debtor.
“Please note that the litigation process will also be extended to those that have not
ensured development on their allocated pieces of land,” he wrote.
The Urban Councils Act section 218 states that all land owners are liable to pay rates
and all forms of taxes due to council. It is said that council is owed US$2 524 131,87 as
of August this year.
In another development, the local authority is carrying out a dog census exercise
encouraging owners, to register and license their pets in line with council’s by laws.
“The HLB team will also inspect dog owner’s properties to ascertain if they adhere to set
standards which include secure fencing and gating.”
The by law states that no person shall keep pets aged six months or more without
licensing.
The local authorities further revealed the penalty for keeping a dog without license is
$20, keeping a dog in an unfenced and ungated area $30, keeping more than one bitch
without council approval is $20, keeping more than two dogs without council approval
$20, keeping a dog without a current rabies vaccination $30, keeping a dog at large or
walking a dog without leash which is not more than 2 meters is $20.
Meanwhile, residents have expressed their concerns over the penalties saying the local
authorities should focus on giving penalties to owners of goats and pigs which are
destroying gardens in the neighbourhood.
“The dog penalties are just outrageous, why not focus on getting rid of domestic animals
which are destroying our source of livelihood,” said a resident.