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Abel Zhakata Senior Reporter—
MUTARE City Council has resolved to levy $2 from every water bill paid to raise at least $800 000 which is needed to finish the Dangamvura water upgrading that was halted in 2011 after the local authority was swindled of close to a half a million dollars meant to buy pipes.
| Mayor, Councillor Tatenda Nhamarare, said if it goes according to plan, water problems in the high-density suburb would be resolved by mid-next year. |
Harare businessman, Anderson Mwashita who owns Shitazburb Enterprises (Pvt) Limited was found guilty of defrauding the municipality of $331 233 through a tender scam in which he received the money as down payment to supply water pipes which were never delivered.
Although the then Mutare provincial magistrate, Mrs Lucie-Anne Mungwari, ordered Mwashita to restitute the local authority in her ruling in 2012, nothing has been recovered and Dangamvura residents have borne the brunt of the scandal that also involved managers at the Civic Centre.
Clr Nhamarare said council resolved to institute the $2 levy and rescue the situation that has resulted in some areas in the suburb going for more than two years without water supplies.
“We held a full council meeting last week and resolved that for every water bill paid, we will take $2 and set it aside for the Dangamvura Water Project.
We are not going to wait for the fund to reach the $800 00 that we need because time is not on our side. As and when we see it fit that there are substantial funds we will embark on the project.
“Our first task is to rehabilitate the water piping system in the T-Section of the suburb.
This is the oldest location in Dangamvura and the water pipes there have overgrown their purpose. We are experiencing incessant bursts and therefore it is important that we deal with this situation on time,” he said.
Clr Nhamarare said the big chunk of the money would go towards finishing the water pipeline that connects the reservoir at the Link Road.
Online Reporter