admin
The Herald, July 4, 2001
THE City of Harare has launched a massive search for people, including its employees, involved in illegal water connections in several suburbs, which are costing the municipality millions of dollars.
Police have also opened investigations into the issue and some municipal employees believed to have taken part in the scandal have already been suspended.
The problem was initially thought to be peculiar to Tynwald North only, where over 200 illegal connections have been discovered, but it has since come to light that it was widespread.
Water sales make up a large percent of the city’s revenue and non-payment results in the cash-strapped city losing millions of dollars.
“It was noted that the illegal activities were also taking place in many areas and a mass action to identify all illegal water connections was being carried out by the audit, Harare Municipal Police and treasury departments,” read recent commission minutes.
It is alleged that some council employees were charging up to $2 500 for the illegal connections.
Some residents interviewed by city auditors alleged that they opted for the illegal connections because the authorities took a long time to reconnect them.
The commission, however, charged that the employees made the unnecessary delays so that they could then extort bribes from those who wanted to be connected.
Besides the illegal connections, the city is also losing a lot of money through water leakages in the 3 000km distribution network. It is estimated that in some places, up to 45 percent of treated water is lost through leakages in the distribution network.
About $100 million has been set aside for the upgrading project, which is still to start.
The $100 million would not cover all the areas as it is estimated that up to $1 billion is required to completely upgrade the water distribution network.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
- There is need for an efficient policy implementation whose purpose is to put in place disciplinary proceedings against those found to have illegal connections, in order to reduce non-revenue water.
- An illegal connection to the water and/or electricity network is a crime that should be given stiffer penalties on anyone caught.
- Illegal water connections are currently costing the municipality a significant amount in revenue while placing the water infrastructure under severe strain.
- According to the Water Act of 1998, Government has the overall responsibility and authority over water resource management, including the equitable allocation and beneficial use of water in the public domain, hence in the event that municipalities fail, the Government should intervene and restore sanity.
Online Reporter