Acting town clerk defends pre-paid water meters

Farirai Machivenyika Harare Bureau
ACTING Bulawayo Town Clerk Sikhangele Zhou yesterday defended the installation of pre-paid water meters, insisting the measure was necessary to manage water use in a city that experiences perennial water rationing.

Zhou said this when she appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Public Works and National Housing chaired by Mutasa South representative, Cde Irene Zindi.

“Council decided that they would pilot this project in those areas where there were Hlalani Kuhle stands where we give them five kilolitres loaded on the coupon for free and then they’ve to pay if they’ve to use more than that,” she said.

“Council believes that this is the way to go in our water management and use by the consumers.”

A number of urban areas have resolved to install pre-paid water meters to boost revenue collection, drawing fire from residents’ organisations who argue that the provision of potable water is a basic human right.

Zhou also raised concern over the low rainfall received this year, saying they would likely de-commission some dams supplying water to the city due to low levels.

“We’re worried that if the situation continues as we think it will, we’ll by January de-commission two of our dams,” she said.

Zhou said because of the perennial water rationing, the city had managed to suppress demand from residents to manageable levels.

She also told the committee that the city had managed to secure a $13.2 million loan facility from a local financial institution to rehabilitate waste water management in the city that had seen pollution of water sources like Umguza and Khami rivers.

Meanwhile, Zhou said the council had not received any formal communication to slash salaries of senior management to $6,000.

“We haven’t received any directive from the government on that. We just heard of it in the press,” she said.

She said the lowest paid worker in the city earned a gross salary of $305 inclusive of a basic salary of $180 and allowances while the highest earning employee gets a gross salary of $10,033 inclusive of a basic salary of $5,182 and allowances.”