HWANGE residents have rejected pre-paid water meters being installed by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) saying they were not consulted before the installation.
The water authority believes pre-paid water meters will help improve service delivery and allow water consumers to use what they can afford, while addressing concerns about estimated water charges in various local authorities.
Zinwa corporate communications and marketing manager Mrs Marjorie Munyonga said pre-paid water meters have been installed both for residents and businesses in Chivhu, Hwange, Karoi, Mvurwi, Murehwa and Nyanga.
The process is also being piloted in Chivhu, Inyathi, Lupane, Mt Darwin, Mutoko, Mvuma and Rushinga where metres have been installed on 10 households each before full roll-out.
However, in Hwange residents have rejected the meters accusing the water authority of imposing the exercise without consulting them.
Residents also fear water will become expensive and that some vulnerable families will struggle to have enough water.
Zinwa installed meters at 10 households last year before rolling out a full programme recently thereby courting the ire of residents.
Greater Hwange Residents Trust coordinator Mr Fidelis Chima accused Zinwa of targeting small towns where they know people don’t resist.
“The local authority has welcomed the prepaid water meters but as residents we want widespread consultations first. Bigger towns have rejected this system and our position is very clear that they should consult first because these pre-paid water meters are only good in countries with stable economy and not ours,” he said.
“Water is different from electricity where there are alternative energy sources. Zinwa should just reduce tariffs than to put pre-paid water meters, as these only benefit their revenue collection than residents.”
Hwange Local Board ward 4 councillor Absalom Kwenda implored residents to be patient saying the exercise was a pilot programme and Zinwa will be engaged if there are challenges. His ward 5 counterpart Tendai Sibanda concurred with residents on the need for consultation.
“We did not impose anything as councillors. What happened was not consultation as Zinwa came and said we should inform residents which we did. Some residents want pre-paid meters to avoid estimated water bills but others want to be consulted which has not happened,” she said.
Mrs Munyonga said various stakeholders were consulted during a meeting held on November 10, 2021 in Hwange.
She said not many meetings could be held because of Covid-19 restrictions and more engagements will be held for feedback once restrictions are relaxed.
“Zinwa has commenced the roll out of prepaid water meters in Hwange targeting households, businesses and institutions. The installation of prepaid water meters is however not peculiar to Hwange but is being done in other centres where Zinwa supplies treated water such as Karoi, Murehwa, Nyanga, Chivhu and Mvurwi and to date 4 000 prepaid water meters have been installed countrywide. More meters are expected to be installed in the coming weeks,” said Mrs Munyonga.
She said resistance in Hwange could be a result of some misconceptions from some sections of society about the new technology.
“There is a misconception that prepaid water meters make water expensive and also deny vulnerable members of society access to water which is not true. Zinwa will however continue to engage clients and stakeholders so that any issues needing clarity can be dealt with,” said Mrs Munyonga.
She said some clients have accepted the development and are even approaching Zinwa requesting that they get the meters during the ongoing phase.
She said consultations are held prior to commencement of the programme in any area.
The pre-paid water meters are being installed free of charge, but in future beneficiaries will pay for the gadgets including to replace damaged, vandalized or stolen ones.
Residents have been complaining that Zinwa officers were confiscating old meters they are replacing, and Mrs Munyonga said gadgets become the property of a utility providing service upon installation even when they are paid for by the clients.