Chronicle Editor
Fairness Moyana In Hwange
RESIDENTS of Empumalanga Phase 4 in Hwange can finally heave a sigh of relief after water supplies were reconnected, following an eight-month dry spell caused by a billing dispute between the Hwange Local Board (HLB) and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa).
The prolonged water crisis, which began after Zinwa disconnected the bulk water meter serving the suburb, has now come to an end, much to the residents’ relief.
The water supply disconnection was the result of an ongoing feud over unpaid debts. Zinwa argued HLB had failed to settle its ballooning water bill, while the local authority contended that the water authority’s billing system was the root of the problem.
The conflict between the two entities, which dates back to 2015, flared up once again as they disputed the exact amount owed, leaving residents without water.
In a statement, HLB chairperson Councillor Morris Mafa confirmed the reconnection of water, apologising to the affected residents for the long delay.
“Hwange Local Board is pleased to announce that water at Empumalanga Phase 4 Stage II has finally been reconnected after about eight months. As council, we sincerely apologise for the regrettable events that led to the settlement going for such a prolonged period without potable water, in the process exposing people’s lives to the danger of contracting communicable diseases,” he said.
“We would like to let residents of Empumalanga Phase 4 Stage II know that it was not the council’s intention to deprive them of water, but it was due to circumstances beyond our control.”
He explained that while the council admitted owing Zinwa, they were challenging the water authority’s billing practices. Clr Mafa said Zinwa’s charges were significantly higher compared to other domestic water users.
“As you might be aware, we incurred a massive debt to the Zimbabwe National Water Authority It is however, worth noting that we found ourselves heavily in debt, largely due to the manner in which Zinwa was billing us,” he said.
“Officials from Zinwa disclosed to us that they were charging council almost twice the amount charged elsewhere for domestic use.”
The local authority further argued Zinwa had advised them they were being charged a special rate, which they referred to as the Local Government rate.
“This was despite the fact that we were buying water in bulk for domestic use by residents of Empumalanga Phase 4 Stage II,” said Clr Mafa.
He said the local authority had sought alternative water supplies during the disconnection by providing residents with water from a bowser. HLB had also taken steps to hand over the water management system to Zinwa in March, but despite numerous efforts, the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) took longer than expected.
“Zinwa has continuously dragged its feet, resulting in the process taking longer than expected while also depriving residents of access to potable water for about eight months,” said Cllr Mafa.
While the council has now cleared its debt with Zinwa, Clr Mafa said the handover was not due to a lack of capacity on the part of the HLB, but rather because Zinwa had made it difficult to continue operating the water system.
Meanwhile, residents expressed their relief at the reconnection of water. Ms Thandekile Sibanda, a resident of Empumalanga Phase 4, said, “We are happy with this development as it has brought us much relief considering that we were now facing hardship in accessing water. We were forced to get water from unsafe sources.”
Another resident, Ms Aleta Moyo, echoed Ms Sibanda’s sentiment, saying, “It is about time the war between HLB and Zinwa ended as it hurt innocent ratepayers.”
The Hwange Local Board had initially taken charge of supplying water to Empumalanga Phase 4 Stage II as part of a pilot project aimed at preparing for the eventual takeover of water administration from Zinwa. However, the ongoing conflict over water billing and management has continued to impact residents.
Online Reporter