Chronicle Editor
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
THE Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) has with immediate effect cut bulk water supplies to Beitbridge Town following disagreements with the municipality on issues relating to the billing system.
The local authority has been engaged in endless disputes over the management of water affairs with the utility.
The latest development has resulted in the whole town with an estimated 100 000 residents and another 15 000 passing through in transit daily running dry, triggering fears of an outbreak of water-borne diseases.
Water vendors have taken advantage of the situation to make brisk business.
In a public notice on Tuesday, the municipality said it was engaging Zinwa to find an amicable solution.
“The municipality would like to advise stakeholders and residents that Zinwa has cut water supplies to the entire town due to discrepancies on the bulk water by the authority,” it said.
“Please note that the water supply interruption affects the whole town. At the moment, the council has engaged Zinwa seeking amicable payment modalities.”
The local authority encouraged residents owing the council in terms of water services to pay up so that it will be able to meet its obligations with Zinwa.
Under the current set-up, Zinwa supplies the bulk water to the council, which it treats and supplies to residents after putting its mark up.
Our Beitbridge Bureau is reliably informed that when Zinwa handed over the water treatment responsibility to the municipality a few years back, it was selling water at 37 cents (USD) per cubic metre. There were then negotiations and charges were reduced to 32 cents (USD) per cubic metre and later reduced to 19 cents (USD) per cubic metre.
The council is proposing to buy raw water at seven cents (USD), which has resulted in a dispute and accumulation of debt that the council is refusing to honour and the matter is now before the High Court for determination.
Zinwa spokesperson, Mrs Marjorie Munyonga, confirmed the development last night.
“The Zimbabwe National Water Authority supplies bulk raw water to Beitbridge Municipality, which the council in turn treats and supplies to residents. Zinwa pumps raw water from the Limpopo River into off-river storage dams, which then supply the municipality’s water treatment plants,” she said.
“Zinwa, thus, incurs electricity, as well as operations and maintenance costs to keep supplies to Beitbridge, which costs should be covered by payments by the water users.
“The authority bills the municipality an average of ZiG 500 000 for their monthly bulk raw water requirements while the local authority has been making monthly payments averaging ZiG 80 000 resulting in the accumulation of the current bill, which now stands at ZiG 2,2 million.”
Mrs Munyonga said due to unsustainable payment patterns by Beitbridge municipality, Zinwa was no longer in a position to meet the obligations associated with the consistent supply of raw water to Beitbridge, including electricity and spares, hence the disruption of water supplies.
“The authority hopes that the local authority ensures viable and consistent payments for uninterrupted service. Zinwa wishes to reiterate that there exists a strong relationship between paying for water and improved service delivery,” she added.
Online Reporter