Zinwa forced to restore water in Gwanda

THE Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) Umzingwane Catchment Area manager Tommy Rosen was on Monday evening forced to restore normal water supplies to Gwanda town following a brief detention by the police who threatened to arrest him for contempt of court for defying a High Court interdict barring the water authority from cutting or rationing water supplies.

The town had since Monday last week experienced erratic water supplies leaving residents threatening to demonstrate over the shortage.

Rosen, who was picked up by police at the Gwanda municipality offices, was ordered to restore supplies by Gwanda district officer commanding police Superintendent Stephen Mutema in a meeting attended by mayor Knowledge Ndlovu.

According to an interim relief order granted by Justice Martin Makonese at the Bulawayo High Court on March 6 2014, Zinwa was ordered not to interfere with water supplies to the town.

"The respondents, Zinwa chief executive officer Tommy Rosen, Stanley Nazombe and Freedom Khumalo are hereby ordered to forthwith ensure full, complete and undisturbed water supplies to the municipality of Gwanda upon service of this provisional order," reads the order.

"For avoidance of doubt, the respondents named or any of their agents or assignees are ordered and directed not to implement any water rationing of whatever nature whatsoever at the Gwanda municipality without leave of this honourable court."

Rosen was reportedly led to restore water supplies by some council officials and by yesterday morning water was flowing in all the townships.

"He was threatened with arrest and at the end of the day he had to choose between a night in the cells or restoring supplies and he chose the latter," a source who attended the meeting said. Zinwa argues the municipality has reneged on an agreement to pay them part of its $5 million debt, which has forced the water authority to retrench part of its workforce.

Contacted for comment yesterday, Rosen referred questions to Zinwa's public relations officer Marjorie Munyonga who could not be reached.

Meanwhile, one of the two residents, Msizi Gumbo, who was arrested on Monday as police thwarted a peaceful protest over the water crisis, was released late in the night after being made to pay $10 admission of guilt fine for disorderly conduct in a public place.

Gumbo who was alleged to have forced open a water tap at the municipality's offices, said he had been "emotionally hurt" by the arrest.

Gwanda Residents' Association spokesperson Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo was released without charge.