THE cash -strapped Victoria Falls Town Council will soon start levying tenants who have been using buildings and land for free because of poor recordkeeping.
By Our Senior Reporter
The anomaly was uncovered by a recent audit.
Victoria Falls mayor Nkosilathi Jiyane last week told NewsDay the decision to collect revenue from the properties was reached at a recent full council meeting.
“We have referred back the matter to the audit team which will work with the acting town clerk and chamber secretary so that we go ahead and charge the tenants,” he said.
He said there were some people who had been taking advantage of the council’s inability to identify all its properties by subletting them to the detriment of the local authority.
“We have discovered that most of the properties and land along the river banks belong to council after it was handed back to us by the State and ceased to be State land but council land,” Jiyane said.
“However, there are a few pockets which remained State land.”
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The council resolution to collect revenue from properties will come as a relief to the local authority which is struggling to meet its wage bill currently standing at $300 000 per month against revenue collection of less than $270 000.
Council employs 289 workers.
The workers recently downed tools over outstanding salaries and took their case to the Labour Court in Hwange.
A certificate of settlement was issued under case number ML 14/06/12 and the local authority was given a month to pay.
