The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
THE Hwange Local Board (HLB) has said it will continue to pursue efforts to take over water management in its area of jurisdiction from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) despite handing over the supply of the resource in one of its settlements.
In their recent newsletter, HLB acting Town Secretary Mr Paulos Mabhureni said the handing over of water management in Empumalanga Phase 4 to ZINWA by Council was solely aimed at ending the impasse between the two authorities, while ensuring the availability of the precious liquid to residents.
“We are handing over management of water to ZINWA, not because we are incapable, but because ZINWA is making it practically impossible for Council to remain alive in Empumalanga Phase 4. It charges us double of what it charges households elsewhere in our area of jurisdiction…,” he said.
ZINWA has been billing Council at Empumalanga Phase 4 using local Government rates of US$2.21 per cubic metre while it billed other residents elsewhere at US$1.04 per cubic metre.
Mr Mabhureni said this meant that Council has all along been subsiding Empumalanga Phase 4 residents.
He said the imminent incorporation of Wankie (Hwange) Colliery concession area into HLB and upgrading of HLB to a town would further give Council the impetus to take over water management from ZINWA.
“Our status as a town is likely to push our parent Ministry (Ministry of Local Government and Public Works) to instruct the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development to ensure ZINWA hands over water management to Council. For easy administration of towns, Councils are supposed to manage water in their area of jurisdiction,” Mr Mabhureni added.
In 2018 residents through the Greater Whange Residents Association petitioned Parliament to direct ZINWA to handover over water management to HLB.
Meanwhile, HLB has been working on a water reticulation system installation exercise in Empumalanga Phase 4, with the assistance of residents from last year.
Empumalanga Phase 4 is more of a dysfunctional settlement, as beneficiaries of the residential stands moved in and started constructing houses before the area could be fully serviced.
The delay in the installation of both the water and sewer reticulation systems is a legacy issue dating back to 2009 when the local authority’s previous administration engaged a contractor who somehow failed to service the stands in question.
