Midlands Reporter
GWERU – The significant debt owed by government departments to the Gweru City Council is severely hampering service delivery, Mkoba South legislator John Kuka has warned in Parliament.
Raising the issue during a question-and-answer session, Hon. Kuka urged the Treasury to ensure that government departments commit to paying their bills to the local authority on time.
“Can the Ministry of Finance inform the House when Treasury will settle outstanding bills owed by various government departments to the Gweru City Council?” Kuka asked.
In response, Finance Deputy Minister Kudakwashe David Mnangagwa acknowledged the debt.
“Government acknowledges its indebtedness to local authorities, including Gweru City Council, for services rendered,” he said.
“In line with all local authorities, Treasury is committed to addressing its obligations and to clearing all verified arrears in a structured and sustainable manner.”
However, Deputy Minister Mnangagwa also urged councils to validate and confirm the amounts owed to facilitate the settlement process.
“Once validated, these bills should be submitted to the parent ministry, the Local Government ministry, en route to Treasury for consideration and processing,” he stated.
The debt crisis was further highlighted last month when Gweru Council Assistant Finance Director Owen Masimba revealed that the municipality is owed a staggering ZiG737 million in unpaid bills as of June 30, 2025. Government departments alone account for over ZiG121 million of this debt.
“As at June 30, the largest debtors were domestic high-density suburbs owing council ZiG194 million, government departments ZiG121 million and commercial ZiG99 million,” Masimba said.
He emphasized the urgent need for the council to develop effective debt recovery strategies, while remaining open to payment plans for both individuals and institutions.
The outstanding government debt continues to strain the council’s ability to provide essential services to residents.
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