Kabwe Municipal Council (KMC) has issued demand notices to 52 non-compliant commercial property owners to recover K1.5 million in property rates.

KMC Public Relations Officer Peter Sukwa said in an interview with ZANIS that the Local Authority will take legal action against non-compliant property owners if they fail to honour their obligations.

Mr Sukwa said there was a need for property owners to urgently settle their outstanding property rates’ fees to avoid facing the wrath of the law.

“The Council can only deliver efficient and quality services to the people of Kabwe if property owners comply with the legal requirement on the payment of property rates,” Mr Sukwa said.

He said the Local Authority was concerned about the continued failure by property owners to pay property rates.

Mr Sukwa said it was a legal requirement for commercial and residential property owners to pay for property rates to enable the Local Authority deliver on its mandate of providing the required services to the people without any challenges.

He said the Council decided to start with commercial property owners under Phase One of the programme before moving to residential properties.

He said the Local Authority will not hesitate to enforce the law on property owners that continue abrogating the law with impunity.

Mr Sukwa said the Council had an obligation to provide the much-needed services to the residents of Kabwe but its efforts are being hampered by the failure of property owners to pay for property rates.

“We wish to advise the 52 commercial property owners to cooperate with the Council by making the payments so that the money can be used on the provision of various services to the people, such as garbage management in the district,” he said

Mr Sukwa said garbage management required huge financial resources and the support of all stakeholders.