Chronicle Editor
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
HWANGE Local Board (HLB) has urged residents of Empumalanga Phase 4 to religiously pay their bills to enable council to settle its outstanding water debt with Zinwa and guard against water cuts.
Empumalanga Phase 4 once went for about five months without water after being disconnected by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa), as council struggled to pay an insurmountable amount of money demanded as outstanding debt.
In their recent newsletter, HLB acting Town Secretary, Mr Paulos Mabhureni encouraged residents to ensure they settle their bills to avoid going for a long time without water.
“We are not satisfied with how residents of Phase 4 are paying their water bills. We are not receiving much from them, a situation, which is likely to see us struggling to pay our Zinwa bill.
“We do not want to go back to that situation where the area had no water supply for a long time. We believe water is everyone’s right and as such it should be available and accessible every time,” he said.
He said as the council they were supplying Empumalanga Phase 4 with water as part of its pilot project aimed at preparing itself to take over water administration from Zinwa.
Mr Mabhureni said they were looking forward to taking over provision of water in their area of jurisdiction, with Zinwa supplying the resource, only as far as to its bulk meter, with them delivering to individual households.
“We are implementing this model in all new settlements, which are currently under development. We appeal to Empumalanga Phase 4 residents to refrain from destroying water infrastructure as well as engaging in illegal connections,” he added.
He emphasised that Empumalanga Phase 4 residents were only obliged to pay for water charges, property tax land, property owners’ tax improvements and road levy since their area was not fully serviced.
Mr Mabhureni said the revenue derived from rates was used by Council to fund road repairs, sewer and water reticulation management, public lighting, education, clinic, law and order, refuse collection and community development among others.
Bongani Ndlovu