By Delicious Mathuthu
Gweru City Council (GCC) is owed more than Z$42 billion as at 31 August 2023, a senior council official has revealed.
This was reveal at Town House, Mayor’s Parlour, recently during a 2024 pre-budget meeting where GCC Deputy Finance Director Owen Masimba said the local authority is owed Z$42.8 billion against a debt of Z$5.4 billion.
He was making a review of the 2023 budget performance so far, up to August, on Friday last week.
Breaking down the debt, Masimba said the town area owes Z$30.3 billion, followed by town services at Z$19.7 billion, the city’s western areas owe Z$12.4 billion while on rates Z$7.4 billion is owed.
Mkoba high density suburb owes the local authority about Z$7.1 billion, Senga Z$1.4 billion, among several other sectors.
The meeting, having diverted from previous controversial budget making processes, was meant to gather stakeholder input prior drafting next year’s budget.
Addressing members of Residents Associations during the meeting, Masimba said this time around Gweru City Council wanted to correct the ills of the past where the budget was brought to stakeholders already drafted for their input, hence council wants to start from scratch and consult before drafting.
The pre-budget meeting was meant to make a review of the 2023 budget, map the budget process overview for stakeholders, gather stakeholder input, identify community needs to be prioritised, make possible budget allocations and revenue options that can be explored.
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