Water disconnection challenged in court

COMMUNITY WATER ALLIANCE AND COMBINED HARARE RESIDENTS FILE URGENT CHAMBER APPLICATION AGAINST WATER DISCONNECTIONS

Community Water Alliance members from Kambuzuma and Mufakose have successfully lodged an urgent chamber application against City of Harare's unilateral removal of water meters on citizens households without a court order. The case was head before Justice Zhou today at High Court 3pm. The City of Harare filed its Heads of Arguments by 14:47 forcing the judge to postpone the case to 10.00am on 01 September 2015, on the agreement of parties concerned. The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, provided legal representative through Sharon Hofisi.

The case opened a can of worms on the billing system of the City of Harare. It was surprising to note that the three applicants from Kambuzuma and Mufakose whose water meters had been removed by the Local Authority, had water bills figures showing old and new water meter readings. The three cases are a drop in the ocean and some citizens had their property attached whilst their water meters had been removed long back. The citizens, who had their water meters removed, are perceived to have debt accruing from water consumption. The purported debt goes beyond fixed water charges, refuse collection and property tax.

Community Water Alliance asserts that the much publicized water debt accruing on citizen's bills is not real. We therefore call for an immediate stop on water disconnections, removal of water meters and attached of property for those purportedly owing the City of Harare.  There is further need for an audit on the so-called citizen's debt on water.

-----------------
Timothy Chitambure <communitywateralliance@gmail.com