Harare Residents Sue Council For Attaching Their Properties Over Unpaid Bills

COMMUNITY Water Alliance, an NGO which advocates the provision of safe and clean water for the residents of Harare, has engaged lawyers to stop the council from attaching properties of residents who are failing to settle their bills.

Harare City Council says it is owed more than US$70 million by residents and companies from unpaid water bills.

The amount accrued after government, in July 2013, ordered all local authorities to write off residents’ debts.

As a way of recovering its dues from defaulting residents, the council is not only disconnecting water but also attaching residents’ properties.

Community Water Alliance at the weekend held a meeting in Mufakose where more than 300 residents have either received ultimatums from the council to pay their bills or risk losing their properties or have their water taps disconnected.

The NGO officials told residents they have approached the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWALA) and the Legal Resource Foundation for legal recourse.

National coordinator of the alliance Timothy Chitambure said with the assistance of the lawyers they are already assessing the affected residents’ individual cases before approaching council and the courts.

“In as much as we residents have the responsibility and obligation of paying for water, in progressive nations, government subsidises for those who cannot afford meeting their bills like the widows, orphans and other vulnerable members such as the disabled.

“I you investigate you will find out that these are the people whose properties are being attached the City of Harare,” said Chitambure.

“We want the council to find other means of recovering their dues which is not through attaching people’s properties, because these people are poor members of the society who are even failing to get three meals a day.”

Residents at the meeting said they were being short changed by the Harare City Council which continues to bill them for no services.

“I received a letter from the Council giving me three weeks to settle US$300  they are saying I owe them and  do not know where they got that figure from because they have not been coming to take metre readings for some years now,” said an elderly women.

“We are not opposed to paying our bills but we need them to provide us with the water which they want us to pay for because in my case I last got tap water six months ago but last week I got a letter saying that I must pay US$230 or they are coming to attach my property,” said another resident. source-newzimbabwe

 

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