Gwanda seeks to control water management

Nozibelo Maphosa, Sunday News Reporter
THE Gwanda Town Council has approached the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) seeking to persuade the water management body to cede control of water treatment back to the local authority.

The two parties have been at loggerheads over the control of water to Gwanda. Zinwa took over the treatment of water in the town around 2012, but has been applying measures such as installation of pre-paid water metres, something both council and residents are against to.

In an interview, Gwanda Mayor Councillor Knowledge Ndlovu said the council wanted to be in full control of the treatment plant.

“We want to control our own treatment plant. Zinwa will provide us with raw water only and we will treat the water ourselves,” said Clr Ndlovu.

He said that the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing had already given the go ahead for the council to own the water treatment plant. Clr Ndlovu added that council has been providing treatment chemicals to Zinwa for the plant

“Zinwa owns water from the dam to the reservoirs and water from the tanks to residential level is owned by the council. The council is also responsible for water billing, but because of this dual ownership we are not able to supply water every time to the residents. At the end of the day, water is expensive because it comes to us already treated but if we control the treatment plant it will reduce the amount of money which the residents pay for water,” said Clr Ndlovu .

Gwanda is experiencing a serious water shortage amid reports Gwanda Provincial Hospital is being forced to send patients home as it is failing to cope without water with the worst affected department being the maternity wing.

Zinwa recently finished the installation of four pre-paid bulk water meters for Gwanda Municipality in an effort to curb the local authority’s ballooning water debt which is now about $10 million. However, the municipality says the water problems will only stop once they take over the water treatment plant from Zinwa.