The Sunday Mail
Kudakwashe Ruwende – Sunday Mail reporter
Harare City Council will channel 10 percent of revenue collected on council rented residential accommodation towards refurbishment of the properties in a development aimed at encouraging tenants to pay rentals.
Tenants in council accommodation properties have been boycotting paying utilities bills in protest over the dilapidated state of the buildings.
The local authority is owed about US$8 million by tenants in its residential properties and the figure has accrued over the past year after the Government ordering all municipalities to slash previous debts of residents. According to a report by Corporate Services and Housing director, Mrs Josephine Ncube the retention of 10 percent of revenue will help rehabilitate the council properties. “The infrastructure at our properties is now outdated for example electricity wiring and water sewerage reticulation pipes. The city has not been able to maintain its rented accommodation due to budgetary constraints,” she said in the report presented to council early this month. “We have proposed that 10 percent of the rentals collected must be retained to cater for the maintenance of the same,” said Mrs Ncube.
Harare City Council principal communications officer, Mr Michael Chideme said, “The 10 percent retention scheme is going to start immediately…
We feel that with these refurbishments, tenants will get to appreciate our services and this will encourage them to settle their monthly dues.
The local authorities owns several accommodation facilities with the bulk of the facilities in Mbare.
