FUMING Bulawayo residents say the recent threat by council to drag debtors to court or seize their property will stir a protest if the local authority does not withdraw that.
This comes after Bulawayo town clerk Christopher Dube threatened to drag debtors to court or seize their property.
Council is owed $1,1 billion by residents.
Bulawayo United Residents Association (Bura) chairperson Winos Dube told the Daily News at the weekend that the threat “is pathetic and yields no results, but rather creates animosity between council and residents”.
“This statement by council threatening to drag residents to court or seize their property is very pathetic and creates animosity among the two parties.
“This actually causes protests and we don’t want a situation whereby people end up holding each other by the throat. Council should not go beyond limits, uttering such disappointing statements. The local authority should withdraw this,” he said.
Dube said instead of threatening residents, the council should revise its charges and come up with tangible investments to develop the city.
“Instead of such threats, council should focus on service delivery issues and revising its rates. Residents are paying for services that they are not being given. This is our question to council, what has it done with our monies that we can point as investment?” said Dube.
Dube said council should rather persuade residents and reach a compromise pertaining rate paying.
“… these are difficult times and council should rather persuade people. Residents and council should sit down and find a solution rather than seizing people’s houses. This will actually cause protests from residents,” he said.
Recently, pensioners petitioned council over rates, saying they were beyond their reach.
Tamary Chikiwa
in BULAWAYO