In the community

Hwange sues residents over $100m debts

Published

4 years ago

September 18, 2021

BY NOTHANDO DUBE

The Hwange Local Board is taking legal action against ratepayers to recover over $100 million in outstanding bills arguing that efforts to persuade defaulters to pay up are hitting a brick wall.

Ndumiso Mdlalose, the town secretary, said legal action was the last resort for the local authority in Matabeleland North after various strategies to persuade residents to pay their outstanding bills failed.

“We have rate defaulters that have gone beyond 120 days, and we have issued them with final demand letters, and from our computation we are owed more than $ 100 million in non-paid rates,” Mdlalose said.

“We exhausted all other means to try and convince the defaulters to pay.

“We were then left with one option, taking the legal route because the challenge we have is that people are reluctant to pay.”

Council said $14 million of the debt accrued over the past three months.

At the beginning of the year the local authority embarked on various strategies to recover the money, which door to door debt collection and sensitisation programmes by councillors.

Mdlalose said the strategies failed to yield results, hence the decision to opt for litigation.

“If we had that $100 million, we would have done a number of projects which would have seen us meeting most of our obligations,” he said.

Empumalanga Phase I, Mpumalanga’s DRC section and Baobab’s T-Section are the

suburbs with the highest number of defaulters, the local authority said.

Fidelis Chima, Greater Whange Residents Trust coordinator, criticised the decision to take legal action against residents saying it was too harsh.

“The Greater Whange Residents Trust is very much worried about the move taken by the Hwange Local Board to take ratepayers to court at a time when the local authority is struggling to service stands at Phase Four, Baobab extension and Empumalanga West,” Chima said.

“Most of the residents that are likely to be affected are pensioners and low-income earners and the Hwange Local Board should come up with payment plans and continuously engage residents on service delivery issues. “

Most of Hwange’s residents were employees of the Hwange Colliery Company, which has been struggling to pay its workers and those that it laid off over the years.

In the community

Human-wildlife conflict claims 18 lives in Zimbabwe’s first quarter

Published

5 days ago

April 16, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has reported a disturbing trend of human-wildlife conflict in the country’s first quarter of 2025. According to the authority, 18 people have lost their lives, and 32 others have been injured in encounters with wildlife.

ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo revealed that the authority received 579 cases of human-wildlife conflict, which they managed to respond to promptly. The incidents have also resulted in significant livestock losses, with at least 53 cattle and 85 goats killed by wildlife.

The districts most affected by these incidents include Binga, Hwange, Kariba, Chiredzi, Hurungwe, Nyaminyami, and Mbire. ZimParks has been working tirelessly to raise awareness about wildlife behaviors and effective preventive measures in these areas.

In response to the crisis, ZimParks has translocated 129 animals back into protected areas and eliminated 158 animals deemed problematic.

“We encourage communities to continue reporting incidents to ZimParks Problem Animal Control numbers and local leadership, such as Councillors, Traditional Leaders, and Rural District Council Authorities, to ensure that we preserve lives,” Farawo urged.

The significant increase in livestock losses, with cattle deaths rising from 18 to 53 and goat deaths from 21 to 85 compared to the same period in 2024, highlights the growing challenge of human-wildlife conflict in Zimbabwe.

ZimParks’ efforts to mitigate the conflict include community initiatives to educate people on managing wildlife encounters effectively.

In the community

Crocodile attacks claim 9 lives, injure 11

Published

1 month ago

March 13, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A surge in crocodile attacks has left a trail of death and destruction in Zimbabwe, with 9 fatalities and 11 injuries reported in the last two months.

According to a statement released by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), 49 human-crocodile conflict cases were recorded during the same period, resulting in the loss of 44 cattle and 60 goats.

The Mid-Zambezi region, which includes Lake Kariba, Angwa River, and Hunyani River, was the hardest hit, with 19 cases reported. The Central region recorded 14 cases, while 16 cases were reported in other areas, including Matopo, Harare, North-West Matabeleland, and South-East Low-veld.

ZimParks has urged communities to exercise extreme caution, especially around water bodies, during the current rain season. The authority has advised communities to ensure that livestock and children are not left unattended near rivers or lakes, and to take precautions when engaging in water activities such as fishing, swimming, and domestic chores.

To mitigate the situation, ZimParks is working closely with local authorities and conservation partners to raise public awareness and promote safety practices. The authority has emphasized its commitment to finding a balance between ensuring public safety and conserving wildlife.

As the situation continues to unfold, ZimParks has appealed to the public to remain vigilant and to report any crocodile sightings or attacks to the authorities.