Harare—Residents have come out guns blazing over the government’s imposition of pre-paid water meters on them.
The multi-million programme is planned to commence in Harare and then spread to other cities and towns like Chitungwiza, Norton and Bulawayo.
The residents are worried that the government is prioritising revenue collection of their right to choose what they want.
The rollout, set to begin in the coming weeks, comes as Harare and its surrounding towns are grappling with erratic and often unsafe water supplies.
This project, involving 600,000 prepaid meters in its first phase, has been presented by government as a strategy to improve water management and revenue collection under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model.
The contract was awarded without tender to Chinese firm Hangzhou Liaison Technology Company and local company Helcraw Electrical, owned by Zanu PF Murehwa West MP Farai Jere.
The terms of the deal remain undisclosed to the public.
Permanent Ngoma, executive director of the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA), condemned the rollout, describing it as unjust and exclusionary.
“We do not support the introduction of prepaid water meters, particularly in high-density communities.
“We believe this system is not inclusive, especially for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, low-income households, and persons with disabilities,” she said.
Ngoma added that prepaid systems are unsuitable in areas with inconsistent water supply.
“Expecting residents to pay upfront for a service they cannot rely on is not only unjust but also exploitative,” she added.
Source: NewsHub Zimbabwe
Source: NewsHub Zimbabwe
