MARONDERA- Amid indications that the Municipality of Marondera is owed more
than ZWL7billion, the local authority has called upon residents and ratepayers to
religiously pay their bills.

In an interview with Chaminuka News, the council’s public relations officer
Kudakwashe Tapfumaneyi also said those who are in arrears should come and
make payment plans.

Reminders have also been sent to creditors through various means.
Tapfumaneyi said: “Council is currently owed a total of about ZWL$7.9 billion by
residents and ratepayers and we are instituting a cocktail of measures to recover
what we are owed by several debtors. We are sending out bill payment reminders
via SMS and bill payment fliers as a means to encourage ratepayers to settle their
bills.

“Through its debt collection office, council has been issuing overdue reminders to
debtors to remind them to service their accounts. Debtors are also encouraged to
enter into payment plan arrangements with the debt collection office in order to pay
off their debts. On another note, council has set up call centres through which
ratepayers in arrears may call and make enquiries on how they may go about
settling their overdue accounts.”

The business community, some of whom have been operating without licences and
not honouring their bills are bound to face litigation.

“We enforce the closure of operations for some business entities that will be in
arrears. In instances where debtors do not respond to the mentioned measures,
council will pursue litigation through the issuance of summons in order to recover the
money it is owed but this is a last resort measure. Council operates on the premise
of positive engagement with the view to maintaining lifelong relationships with all
stakeholders,” Tapfumaneyi said.