adminprogramme that created 18 000 new A2 commercial farmers and over 180 000 A1 farmers.
All these new farmers have to be fed into the Zinwa database catchment by catchment to enhance the service they receive from the water authority.
This programme would also smoothen the water supply, distribution and allocation as well as billing of consumers.
Zimbabwe is deliberately divided into seven catchment areas based on the main fluvial systems.
These are Manyame, Mazowe, Sanyati, Save, Runde, Gwayi and Mzingwane catchment areas.
These catchments areas are run by Zinwa officials and stakeholder representatives which are aptly named catchment councils.
Catchment councils’ core responsibilities among others are management of water bodies, distribution and allocation of water supplies, billing consumers and overseeing smooth operations of each catchment area without necessarily relying on head office.
Zinwa believes that local people know and are capable of running their affairs for the benefit of their communities.
Each catchment area is also responsible for creating a database of all water users under its jurisdiction for water allocation and distribution and billing purposes.
Water users are by law required to register and seek water permits from their respective catchment councils.
Each consumer, particularly farmers, should at the beginning of each water year in April register and seek permits to allow them to draw specific amounts of water for irrigation purposes.
It is in the same vein that Zinwa now calls for all farmers who would like to do irrigation farming in the 2012-2013 season to both seek permits and register with their respective catchment councils.
On average the country’s dams currently hold enough supplies to last until the next runoff season.
However, it remains important for users to register so that they are billed properly and the authority knows who is drawing how much water from the water bodies in order for it to develop an efficient and effective allocation and distribution of this important resource.
Below are the contacts for Zinwa catchment offices spread throughout the country.
Manyame Catchment
1st Floor, Old Mutual House
Cnr Sam Mujoma/Speke Ave
PO Box CY715, Causeway
Harare
Telephone: (04) 702 124, 793 738/32
Fax: (04) 702124
Mazoe Catchment
3rd Floor, Old Mutual House
Cnr Sam Mujoma/Speke Ave
PO Box CY715, Causeway
Harare
Telephone (04)700 953, 761 465/71
Fax: (04) 791 594
Sanyati Catchment
2nd Street, Gweru
P.O Box 554
Telephone: (054) 222 511/4, 220 157/9
Fax: (054) 220 168
Save Catchment
7 Park Road
PO Box 210
Mutare
Telephone: (020) 60926, 60990
Fax: (020) 62848
Runde Catchment
717 Mineral Road
PO Box 250
Masvingo
Tell: (039) 263 690, 262950-2, 263427, 262016
Fax: (039) 263972
Mzingwane Catchment
Ground Floor, Mhlahlandela New Government Complex
PO Box 2008
Bulawayo
Telephone: (09) 885791/2/7/8, 67628/9, 71044, 67359
Fax: (09) 882 865
Gwayi Catchment
2nd Floor, Mhlahlandela Government Complex
PO Box 566
Bulawayo
Telephone: (09) 69361/3
Fax: (09) 77109
The catchment offices and are always open to stakeholders for any communication and interactions. Our stakeholder should feel free to call in and have a chat on all water issues.
Online Reporter