Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Harare Mayor, Jacob Mafume, has claimed that the local government authority is owed ZWL$45 Billion by residents, the central government and businesses.
Mafume, a Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) councillor for Ward 17 Mount Pleasant, made the remarks while addressing a stakeholders’ meeting recently at Town House.
He said the huge debt has rendered the city’s financial state unsustainable and was hindering service delivery. Said the law expert:
The failure by residents, institutions and Government Ministries to pay for services has affected our operations because we are failing to pay our service providers.
As we discuss the performance of the 2022 budget, those are some of the figures we need to keep in mind. Business needs to come on board to rescue the City. There are many areas where we can partner and get return on investment.
Mayor Mafume said the post-payment of services was not conducive to the prevailing economic environment.
i). Industry and Commerce owed the city ZWL$16 billion,
ii). Residents ZWL$13 billion,
iii). Government ZWL$961 million
iv). Dormitory towns owe ZWL$1.1 billion.
v). Other stakeholders owe the remainder.
Harare has been failing to provide services such as sewer reticulation, provision of potable water, street lighting, garbage collection and road rehabilitation. It blames the trajectory on the lack of adequate funding.
Critics, however, argue that the city fathers collect enough money to fund service delivery but choose to enrich themselves.
Critics often cite the alleged maladministration of $144 million China Export and Import Bank loan for the rehabilitation of water infrastructure and sewer treatment plants.
Part of the money was allegedly abused by city council management who bought themselves vehicles.
The maladministration of the loan was part of the reason for the sacking of former town clerk Tendai Mahachi.
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