Midlands Reporter<\/p>\n\n\n\n
GWERU \u2013 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan the Ministry of Finance inform the House when Treasury will settle outstanding bills owed by various government departments to the Gweru City Council?\u201d Kuka asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In response, Finance Deputy Minister Kudakwashe David Mnangagwa acknowledged the debt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGovernment acknowledges its indebtedness to local authorities, including Gweru City Council, for services rendered,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn line with all local authorities, Treasury is committed to addressing its obligations and to clearing all verified arrears in a structured and sustainable manner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, Deputy Minister Mnangagwa also urged councils to validate and confirm the amounts owed to facilitate the settlement process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOnce validated, these bills should be submitted to the parent ministry, the Local Government ministry, en route to Treasury for consideration and processing,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The outstanding government debt continues to strain the council’s ability to provide essential services to residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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