The Sunday Mail
Kudakwashe Ruwende – Sunday Mail Reporter
Residents occupying Harare City Council accommodation facilities owe the local authority nearly US$8 million in unpaid rentals since the beginning of the year with tenants in Mbare hostels accounting for over US$5 million despite council having written off their debts last year.
The Sunday Mail understands that arrears of at least US$7 763 888 have accumulated since January and residents of Mbare hostels are not paying monthly dues in protest against the dilapidated state of the flats.
Poor ablution facilities, broken windows, dirty walls and the absence of clean running water are a regular sight at the council-owned flats.
According to minutes of the Harare City Council Audit Committee, the tenants owe nearly US$3 million in unpaid electricity bills resulting in the power utility disconnecting some of the properties.
Harare City Council audit manager Mr Tendai Kwenda said some non-council employees were living in the properties without leases.
“A debt of US$7 763 888 has accumulated since January regarding council rented accommodation since the writing off of bills in June 2013 and Mbare hostels alone account for US$5 million of the debt,” said Mr Kwenda in a report presented before a full council meeting last week.
“ZESA charges City of Harare for electricity consumption at Mbare Hostels and in turn we recover our money from tenants who are currently not paying for the service.”
The committee noted that despite tenants violating conditions of their lease agreement, by not paying rentals, no action has been taken by council to evict them or recover the debt.
Deputy Director for Corporate Services and Housing Mr James Chiyangwa said council should put an effort in maintaining the properties.
“The council must repair and improve the appearance of council rented accommodation in Greater Harare especially in one-roomed Mbare, Matapi, Shawasha and Nenyere hostels. It should also consider constructing new houses,” he said.
However, Acting Town Clerk Josephine Ncube said council was already in the process of improving the appearance of the hostels and constructing new houses.
The committee resolved to recommend that ZESA prepaid meters be installed at Mbare hostels in order to recover its debt.
Harare Residents’ Trust co-ordinator Precious Shumba said corruption was to blame for the state of affairs in the council accommodation facilities.
“The reason behind the non-payment of rentals is that the current tenants are not the original ones and were brought in through illegal means by corrupt senior council officials who are pocketing the money every month depriving the council of the much-needed revenue,” he said.
