adminPatrick Chitumba,Midlands Bureau Chief
AT LEAST 23,000 households in Gweru are using council water for free, a recent audit has revealed.
In his contribution at the full council meeting at Town House last Friday, the commissioner in charge of finance Mr Mark Choga said a recent water audit had revealed that council was, as a result, being prejudiced of potential revenue.
“There are more than 15,000 houses in Gweru which have malfunctioning water meters. At the same time there are over 8,000 houses without water meters.
“It means over 23,000 houses are using council water for free and that is putting a strain on council,” he said.
Mr Choga said those whose water meters were illegally connected to council pipes would be fined heavily to deter would-be offenders.
He said council was also in the process of replacing malfunctioning meters with working ones.
“Council is in the process of replacing the malfunctioning water meters and at the same time putting measures to see that the 8,000 houses have water meters because we have a situation where some residents are paying while others are using water for free and it’s not healthy for our finances.
“Those found in the wrong are going to pay penalties,” said Mr Choga.
Addressing the same meeting, commission chairperson, Mr Tsunga Mhangami said GCC has in the past 10 years been using estimates to bill businesses in the central business district where over 350 water meters are buried underground.
Meanwhile, Mr Choga said GCC has introduced electronic point of sale (POS) terminals at the revenue halls to embrace the use of plastic money.
“We now have POS terminals at Mkoba North, Mkoba 6, Mtapa, and Senga administration blocks and at the main revenue hall at the town house.
“We started this programme way before the directive by the government for local authorities to have the POS terminals,” he said.
He said they were also working on changing the council’s accounting system so that they embrace transactions in multiple currencies.
“We have since engaged some company to change our accounting system so that we start receiving multiple currencies.
“We hope by the end of July, rate payers will be able to transact in any currency,” he said.
Online Reporter