Chronicle Editor
Yoliswa Dube-Moyo, Matabeleland South Bureau Chief
About 70 percent of the prepaid water meters installed by the Gwanda Municipality in the first phase of its prepaid water metering project in the mining town have since broken down.
This has been attributed to poor quality meters supplied to the local authority, which has stalled the municipality’s plans to install more prepaid water meters across the town.
In 2015, the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing gave Gwanda Municipality the green light to go ahead with its proposed prepaid water meter project to enhance revenue collection and improve service delivery despite protests by residents.
Gwanda mayor Councillor Njabulo Siziba said the prepaid water meters were introduced in a phased manner but challenges with the supplier had slowed down the project.
“We bought about 1 000 of them (prepaid water meters) which we installed.
We support the prepaid water system but we’ve been having challenges with the gadgets whose batteries malfunction after a short period after installation.
The quality that the supplier has been producing is substandard.
We realise that from the 100 percent we connected for the residents, only 30 percent are still functioning.
The rest have since broken down and the batteries can’t be replaced or recharged and they’re not easily available,” said Clr Siziba.
He said this had led some residents to revert to the old water metering system.
“Prepaid water meters are the best system to use for the times we currently live in because you use what you would’ve paid for.
We’re yet to get an alternative supplier who can give us a better quality product,” said Clr Siziba.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) is owed $2,6 billion by its various clients and has adopted the installation of prepaid water meters as a debt recovery strategy with over 7 000 meters having been installed so far.
The water authority is rolling out the prepaid water meters in small towns, growth points and rural service centres where it provides treated water.
Zinwa corporate communications and marketing manager Mrs Marjorie Munyonga said the non-payment of bills affects the execution of the parastatal’s mandate, including procurement of water treatment chemicals.
“Zinwa is owed in excess of $2,6 billion by various clients across the country, which it is working on recovering.
As of November 30, 2021, various clients, including Government departments, parastatals, irrigators, agricultural estates, mines and schools owed Zinwa a total of $2 606 402 553. Some of the money has been outstanding for periods running into years.
Of this amount, domestic consumers owed $334 778 549 with Government departments owing $748 706 302, irrigators $543 788 239 while schools owe Zinwa $48 676 088. Parastatals owe $116 570 027 and mines owe $84 519 585,” said Mrs Munyonga.
“This non-payment of water bills by these various clients has negatively impacted Zinwa’s operations as the authority requires these resources to procure critical inputs needed for water production and maintenance of water provision infrastructure such as dams and water treatment plants.”
She said the inputs include water treatment chemicals, fuel, electricity and the payment of statutory obligations such as taxes and levies.
“To try and curb the further growing of the debtors book, Zinwa is rolling out prepaid water meters in the small towns, growth points and rural service centres where it provides treated water and as at January 16, 2022 a total of 7 356 prepaid water meters had been installed across the country in Hwange, Murehwa, Mutoko, Nyanga, Chivhu, Karoi and Mvurwi.”
Mrs Munyonga said Zinwa is targeting to have installed 35 000 clients on the prepaid metering system by the end of the year. – @Yolisswa
Online Reporter