adminallocated during farming seasons since 2009.
In an interview at the just ended Chinhoyi Agriculture Show, Zinwa public relations manager, Mrs Marjorie Munyonga, said some farmers had not paid for water allocated to them since 2009.
“We are owed a lot of money that is now over $16 million by our farmers across the country for water that has been allocated to them. This makes it difficult to maintain the dams that are supposed to give them water to irrigate their crops and provide water for their livestock,” she said.
Farmers in Manyame catchment area owe the water utility over US$2 million in unsettled bills, while farmers in the other six catchment areas collectively owe remaining amount.
Mrs Munyonga urged farmers to honour their obligations so that they continue to receive water.
“As such, we would like to urge our farmers to play their part and pay their bills so that we also continue to play our role of maintaining dams to preserve water and ensure that it is always available when they need it,” she said.
Some farmers, she said incurred huge bills when they inflated the hectarage they wanted to irrigate in a bid to get more money from banks especially the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe but went on to plant less.
She said the farmers would then raise arguments that they would only pay for what they used.
“If you make a reservation in a hotel and decide not to use the room, you will still be charged because the hotel would have lost out in potential revenue. It is the same with making reservations of water,” she said.
Some farmers were, however, settling their bills and were up to date with payments, she said.
Online Reporter