ZINWA Cuts Off Beitbridge's Water Supply Over Unpaid Arrears
The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) disconnected their raw water supply to Beitbridge town on Tuesday due to unpaid arrears of about US$196 000 (ZWG2 711 362.80).
In a letter, to the local authority, ZINWA said it could no longer meet its obligations to supply water until the municipality services its arrears. Reads the letter:
ZINWA 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.
ZINWA incurs electricity, operations, and maintenance costs to keep supplies to Beitbridge, which should be covered by payments from the municipality.
ZINWA said it bills the Beitbridge municipality an average of ZWG550,000 for their monthly bulk raw water requirements, but the local authority has only been making monthly payments averaging ZWG140 000. It said:
This has resulted in outstanding bills accumulating to ZWG 2,711,362.80. Due to this unsustainable payment pattern by Beitbridge Municipality, ZINWA is no longer in a position to meet the obligations associated with the consistent supply of raw water to Beitbridge, including electricity and repairs and maintenance.
Hence, the authority has decided to disconnect water supplies to Beitbridge until the municipality services its arrears.
Beitbridge Municipality Acting Town Clerk, Engineer Douglas Siphuma, confirmed the development to CITE.
The local authority sent a circular to the residents, encouraging them to pay their dues so that the water may be reconnected. Said Siphuma:
The Municipality of Beitbridge would like to advise residents and stakeholders that ZINWA has cut bulk water supply to the entire town. Please note that the water supply interruption affects the whole town.
The municipality, through previous correspondences, has continually encouraged residents and stakeholders to honour and pay their debts.
It is unfortunate that despite concerted efforts to offer support systems like payment plans and enforcement of water disconnections, the payments have not reached the minimum threshold required to meet the debt.
While the municipality is engaging ZINWA to seek a lasting solution, residents and stakeholders are urged to make serious efforts to pay for water debts.
The community is further advised to make use of the available boreholes and use water sparingly.
Zimbabwe’s urban dwellers face several challenges that make it difficult for them to pay municipal bills.
Many urban residents rely on informal employment, which is often unstable and poorly paid. This makes it difficult for them to afford regular expenses, including municipal bills.
Furthermore, there are frequent disruptions in essential services like water and electricity. Residents are often reluctant to pay for services that are unreliable or of poor quality.
The hight cost of municipal services relative to the average income of urban dwellers makes it hard for them to keep up with their bills.
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