BULAWAYO councillors have indicated that they will soon conduct a study tour of Gwanda Town Council to find out how the Matabeleland South provincial capital has implemented its prepaid water meter project.
BY NQOBILE BHEBHE This comes amid reports that Gwanda Municipality rolled out the programme without resistance from residents and had realised a significant improvement in revenue inflows.
Bulawayo City Council is battling to convince residents on the advantages of installing the gadgets, with ratepayers threatening to vandalise the meters once they have been installed at their homes.
Last week, more than 1 000 Bulawayo residents took to the streets, protesting against the city council’s plans to install pre-paid water meters at their households.
The residents, who were organised by several civil organisations, threatened to vandalise the meters and chase council officials assigned to install the meters.
However, according to the latest council minutes, mayor Martin Moyo told the environmental management and engineering services committee that Gwanda and Shurugwi councils had successfully introduced prepaid water meters for residents.
“By so doing, revenue collection in these local authorities had improved. In view of this, there was need to visit Gwanda and ascertain how this project had affected water delivery in that town,” part of the report reads.
Councillor Silas Chigora said pressure groups and residents’ associations should also be invited for the Gwanda trip so they could appreciate such measures.
“Involvement of residents’ associations in such issues would make them appreciate the advantages of using prepaid water meters,” the report read.
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Bulawayo has vowed to press ahead with the project despite reservations from residents, who argue that commercialisation of water is a breach of their constitutional rights.
A tender for the supply of 1 500 prepaid water meters is soon to be advertised.
Council’s engineering services director Simela Dube recently said consultations were made and it emerged that the local authority requires about $200 to acquire each meter.
