The Grootfontein Municipality has put on hold its decision to enforce an agreement it entered into with Redforce Debt Management.
This was announced by Grootfontein Mayor Talitha Garises, who said the agreement was set to be implemented on 01 May 2024 for the debt management company to, on behalf of the municipality, collect an amount of N.dollars 213 million in outstanding debt owed by residents to the municipality.
Garises in a media statement on Friday said the decision was taken due to the finalisation of some internal modalities and to also allow defaulters to make payment arrangements with the municipality’s financial department, while the council plans to further engage the community through public meetings.
The mayor, however, did not mention the time frame for which the municipality intends to put the agreement on hold, but noted that the decision is the outcome of a special council meeting held on Thursday at the Grootfontein Municipality Council Chambers.
The meeting was prompted by a demonstra
tion of more than 300 residents who took to the streets on 26 April, denouncing the agreement the municipality entered into with Redforce to collect arrears on its behalf.
The Swapo Party regional leadership last month and on Thursday condemned the decision to engage Redforce Debt Management, saying residents are already struggling to pay rates and taxes, and called for respectful debt collection methods between the residents, government offices and businesses with outstanding accounts.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency