A council proposal to commericalise water and sanitation services in the dormitory town could result in a 118 percent hike in water tariffs.
Chitungwiza Residents Trust director, Marvellous Khumalo, said the proposal was announced to residents during a recent meeting between council and the residents’ association.
“Supplies of water in the city are not frequent with most households receiving water for just two to three days per week. It will be unfair for council to hike water from US$0,38 to US$0,83 per kilolitre as intended,” said Khumalo.
He said the city’s water billing system was chaotic and largely based on estimates.
In some areas, such as Zengeza 4 Extension, residents are being charged for non-existent services.
“This creates a lot of chaos in the billing system and has led to confrontation between council and residents. Some unfortunate cases (involve) some residents who have had their properties attached and auctioned by council through debt collectors who are using unproven bills based on estimates,” said Khumalo.
Chitungwiza town clerk, George Mukunde, late last year announced that the municipality had received approval from the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to commercialise water and sanitation services.
He said the 2017 budget had been approved with a commercial water tariff.
He also claimed to have convinced the Chitungwiza residents to accept the hike.
Makunde said: “Council made very good progress when it got the Ministry’s approval to commercialise water and sanitation services. The 2017 budget was approved with a water tariff that is more commercial than the previous ones.
“We also convinced our rate payers during budget consultations to move from a loss making tariff to the one that is slightly commercial. Our water charges were too low such that we were incurring losses at a rate of 14 cents per cubic metre. No serious private sector player would want to invest in such a business environment.”
But the municipality’s acting public relations officer, Aaron Mahonyera, said the water tariff increases would not be implemented “any time soon”.
“The increases shall be implemented by a company that will be contracted to run such projects,” said Mahonyera.
Chitungwiza mayor, Phillip Mutoti, told the Financial Gazette that there would be no tariff increase.
Mutoti said the council budget had not been altered from the one it presented last year, implying that no increases would be made.
“We have informed all the residents to approach us should there be any queries in terms of service delivery,” Mutoti said. Financial Gazette
