Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
GWANDA Municipality intends to revert to the prepaid water system as a way of trying to contain the ever-ballooning bill owed by ratepayers which is now at $18 billion.
A total of $12 billion is owed by residents while Government departments owe the local authority $4 billion. Businesses and other institutions owe Gwanda Municipality $2 billion.
In an interview, Gwanda mayor, Councillor Thulani Moyo said introducing the prepaid water meters will help the council to ensure an interrupted supply of water. He said the project is at an advanced stage of tendering.
“When looking at the slow pace at which people are paying their bills and the obligations that we have to meet for us to supply water to the town, the reintroduction of prepaid water meters is the way to go,” he said.
“We are sitting at $18 billion owed by residents, Government departments and the business community. Zesa is no longer accepting payment plans which means for them to supply us with power to pump water, they need cash up front.”
Clr Moyo said they have since called an engagement meeting with stakeholders to discuss the issue of re-introducing pre-paid water meters.
“We have flighted a tender which is now at an advanced stage. The council has to pay $300 million to Zinwa for raw water, $300 million towards chemicals for treating the water and another $300 million to Zesa,” he said.
“We are hopeful that we will be able to meet our financial obligations once bill payments improve.”
Clr Moyo said the prepaid water system will also help to address concerns raised by residents over the council’s billing system. He said the prepaid meters will be installed in about 10 000 properties.
“Ratepayers will have to purchase their own prepaid meters on an instalment basis. The cost of the prepaid meters will then be credited into the accounts of ratepayers,” he said.
Clr Moyo said once ratepayers have been reimbursed their money the prepaid meters will become council property.
“The supplier will maintain these prepaid meters for five years. Whenever a client has a faulty prepaid meter it will be the duty of the supplier to attend to the fault,” he said.
“This is a crucial project because adequate water supply speaks to Vision 2030. Livelihoods and day-to-day living of the people will improve as we work towards a 24-hour constant water supply.”
Clr Moyo said this time, they want to ensure that the prepaid water system is up to standard.
“We once had the prepaid system, but it was ineffective as the supplier couldn’t provide batteries and we had to phase it out as it was giving ratepayers problems,” he said.
Gwanda Municipality once introduced prepaid water meters in the town but the project failed after the local authority failed to maintain the system resulting in it being phased out. —@DubeMatutu
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