The City of Harare has revealed that it is owed more than $70 million by various stakeholders, with residents being the biggest debtors.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Costa Mande, the Council chairman of the finance committee, provided more details on the outstanding debt. He stated:
The debt is around US$70 million, and of this, the major chunk is owed by the residents. There are also debts from industry, the government, and the dormitory towns, but we have managed to deal with them heavily, and their bills are now lower. The residents remain the major debtors so far.
To address the issue, the council has engaged more staff to help recover the outstanding amounts and is encouraging residents to take responsibility and pay their bills.
This development comes as the City of Harare’s 2024 budget proposal was recently rejected by the government for failing to meet certain guidelines.
A revised budget has since been resubmitted and is awaiting approval.
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