Gutu residents, Zinwa at war

Runesu Gwidi Masvingo Correspondent
Residents of Mpandawana in Gutu have urged the Zimbabwe National Water Authority to hand over the water supply system to Gutu Rural District Council.

Residents accuse Zinwa of failing to efficiently run the water supply system in Mpandawana, leaving Gutu RDC to do the bulk of the work despite collecting revenue from Mpandawana ratepayers.

Gutu Apex, an organisation comprising five residents’ and ratepayers’ associations in the town, wants council to take over water supply in the town.

The apex’s chairperson, Mr Simbarashe Tarugarira, said residents had since petitioned the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate to intervene in their dispute with Zinwa.

Mr Tarugarira accused Zinwa of failing to speedily connect water in some of the town’s suburbs while also failing to attend to problems like burst water pipes.

“We have already made it clear that if there is no solution to our problems with Zinwa in the near future then the only option left will be to take to the streets,” he said.

Gutu RDC has since formally asked the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to transfer water supply in Mpandawana from Zinwa to the local authority.

Chief executive Mr Alexander Mutembwa, in a letter to the ministry dated December 9, 2017, said a Gutu RDC full council meeting had resolved to take over water supplies in Mpandawana from Zinwa.