by Staff Reporter

Harare City Council (HCC) says it will soon deploy debt collectors on residents with outstanding bills to recover the ZW $5 billion it is owed.

In a statement, council said, “Harare will soon deploy debt collectors to collect all outstanding payments.

“The best is to do a payment plan now and respect the agreement over a specified time. Council is owed over ZWL 5 billion by various creditors,” it read.

Residents are, however, reluctant to come up with the suggested payment plans as they feel that council have been short changing them for a long period of time, owing it to its poor estimate billing system and pathetic service delivery.

Most Harare residents have gone for months without piped water, and to areas where HCC has been able to supply water, the billing system has been chaotic, thus frustrating residents.

Responding to HCC debt collectors plan on social media, edgy residents slammed the decision.

“Debt payments are not an issue, but it is the way your billing system is in shambles. No meter reading for water is happening yet you are making us pay estimated bills that are way over what we are consuming. And if you go to Rowan Martin with queries and the actual meter reading, your officers are dismissive and rude,” complained Privilege Musvanhiri on Twitter.

McDonald Musemwa also weighed in, “You have the fiscal space to hire debt collectors instead of buying water treatment chemicals, fixing street lights and patching up potholes. HCC you are a joke. No wonder you have run this city down.”

The MDC Alliance-led councils have failed residents through non-delivery of services. Speaking during a Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) in Bulawayo this week, that party’s Youth Assembly Secretary General, Gift Ostallos Siziba called on the PECs to rein in councilors who are not performing. He argued that the poor service delivery was tarnishing that party’s image.