Statement from Gwanda Residents Association on prepaid water metres directive

Media has been awash with reports that the Municipality of Gwanda claims to have been given an order by Minister of Local Government Public Works and National Housing Cde Saviour Kasukuwere to immediately unroll without compromise the heavily disputed prepaid water metres in every household water points in Gwanda.

According to the media reports this is being done in order to help the local authority generate revenue to meet its operational expenses including a heavy salary bill and long overdue debts.

The reports also claim that the residents have unanimously agreed to have the metres installed at their homes as they stand to benefit against Council's erratic billing system.

As residents representation, the Gwanda Residents Association would by means of this statement want to make it categorically clear that the residents of Gwanda have declared before and continue to declare that they do not under any circumstances want to have water in Gwanda put on a prepaid system more so if the attitude towards the metres is financially motivated than a civic responsibility.

Without reciting our many social, legal and civic reasons against the metres, we are disappointed that in its statement on the motivation of the metres Council is quoting Minister Kasukuwere as having ordered them to install the metres from a closed meeting resolution. This not being the first time that Council has brought the name of the honourable Minister into our water crisis we begin by not trusting the genuineness of their assertion as it already contradicts the views of what the Minister recently said.

As far as we can recall, the last official position of government in terms of prepaid water which was announced by Minister Kasukuwere stated that government will not force the metres on any of its citizens and that local authorities must consult intensively with residents and stakeholders before any decision on the metres is made.

For all we know none of that intensive engagement has been done here in Gwanda except for heavily politicised ward meetings which were called to denounce the Residents Association and with out fact tag it's leadership as opposition.

Secondly, Minister Kasukuwere made it clear that the local authorities must ensure a constant supply of clean, safe and potable water before any considerations for prepaid water are entered into.

Today in Gwanda we enter our fifth day without a drop of water coming from our taps after months of severe rationing of the water and unwarranted disconnections.

Several areas in Gwanda have never had a drop of water for years. Our bushy areas are a sore sight with human excretion and sanitary ware as every little part of them has been turned into a convenience place.

A cholera outbreak is just but knocking at our door steps and this leaves us with a question which water is really being talked about going on prepaid?

As residents we are tired of being spoken for and wrongfully so. We do not understand why our Council decided to go out and tell the Minister that the residents of Gwanda are demanding for the prepaid metres. As far as we know, we both residents and council, have been joining hands in trying to fight to get rid of the dual system in our water supply network where Council buys treated water from ZINWA before selling to us residents at an outrageous price.

We were indeed so excited when we got the rumour that the Minister was due to meet our Council and thought that the meeting was going to come out with a resolution to get ZINWA out of our water administration system. For whatever reason, Council decided to forget our war and sellout on us the residents whom they represent.

Suddenly ZINWA is a good brother in the administration of our water yet in a number of meetings Council always blamed ZINWA for our water problems. All the collective resolutions we took together with Council to fight to her ZINWA out are suddenly of no relevance and issues of misplaced residents.

We are also shocked as residents that besides all our efforts to join hands with Council in improving revenue collection in the town we get the blame for Council's failures to deliver services as we are tagged not to be paying our bills. It is a known fact that our Council is sinking because Government departments and parastatals in the town are not settling their bills to Council and that the general residents are doing their utmost best in paying Council under the harsh economic environment.
One would have thought that the coming of the Minister was a perfect opportunity for Council to present to the Minister whose Ministry is responsible for all government properties the vrequest for payments due from the properties.

Does this therefore mean that as residents we have a wrong belief that our elected councillors should put us first in their thoughts and decisions. Has this financially motivated decision really taken into consideration the plights of the poorest of our poor community or even that of the average resident of Gwanda?

This kind of direct misrepresentation of what we want and who we are as people of Gwanda by those in our local authority spells a direct provocation of the people of Gwanda. Our long silence and order is certainly bring taken out of context if our city fathers can declare in a public meeting that the people of Gwanda will never stand up and rise against anything.

If the message being sent by the people of Gwanda through us their representation in open dialogue from open public meetings is not clear enough then it clearly means that it's now time that the masses be given an opportunity to send their message themselves within their constitutional and democratic right, maybe that way can their message go through and be heard.

Issued by the Gwanda Residents Association information and publicity office.

gwandaresidentsassociation@gmail.com

Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo Information and Publicity Secretary Gwanda Residents Association