Govt supports prepaid water move

Sunday Mail Reporter

Government is fully behind introduction of pre-paid water meters in urban areas countrywide, saying this will trigger revenue generation in local authorities to enable provision of efficient services.

Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere said the system was progressive.

“Water provision on its own requires somebody to pay for it,” he recently told Parliament. “We agree that water is a human right, but it is the transmission that must be paid for. So the question of prepaid water meters is really meant to support councils and service providers to have enough capacity to service the communities with water.”

Harare City Council alone is owed over US$360 million in unpaid rates and is collecting monthly revenue of US$12 million against a potential of US$24 million per month.

However, human rights groups and residents, especially in Harare and Bulawayo, are questioning the new system’s constitutionality.

Combined Harare Residents’ Association director Mr Mfundo Mlilo said, “We are opposed to the installation of the prepaid water meters because of a number of reasons and one of them is the health implications.”

“Countries like South Africa, where it was introduced, have social grants and provide at least 10 000 litres free water monthly to individual households with challenges to pay for the water.”