Online Reporter
Trust Freddy
Herald Correspondent
THE roll-out of the Harare prepaid water meter project is gaining momentum with the investor having bought over 40 vehicles dedicated to attend to pipe bursts, a Cabinet minister has said.
Helcraw Electrical, a company assisting the city with the installation of smart water meters, has started mobilising pipes to replace ageing ones.
Giving an update on the smart water meter project at an interactive meeting involving Harare City councillors and officials from his office at Town House in Harare on Monday, Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said: “The investor has started work with the procurement of over 40 service vehicles branded City of Harare to be deployed in the city’s various suburbs shortly and this is progress.”
The minister assured the public that the privatisation of service delivery was not an attempt to erode the role of local authorities.
“ . . . rather, it is intended to complement and enhance the efforts already undertaken by councils as the third tier of Government. We must therefore embrace the initiative, and continue to strengthen our focus on all service delivery categories, as we push forward toward Visio 2030.”
The initiative is part of a broader build-operate-transfer (BOT) agreement signed between the Government, the City of Harare, Hangzhou Liaison Technology Company and Helcraw Electrical. It will see the installation of 600 000 prepaid meters across five cities.
Of these, 320 000 are earmarked for Harare, with the remainder going to Bulawayo, Gweru, Mutare and Victoria Falls.
Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume said: “The water meter project is now on the ground. The agreements have been put in place. The infrastructure in terms of working together is now there. The first vehicles will be launched very soon. Some of the works will start in the next few weeks. Already, water meters are being manufactured in China and they will be brought down here.”
The project comprises three key components: replacing outdated asbestos and zinc piping, installing smart water meters and rehabilitating infrastructure at Morton Jaffray Water Works.
