The Sunday News
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Plumtree Correspondent
PLUMTREE Town Council has started installing pre-paid water meters in the border town as part of efforts to raise money and guide against increase in residents who are not servicing water bills.
Town Secretary Mr Davis Dumezweni Luthe said the local authority has purchased 1 000 meters that will be installed in the Central Business District, low density and medium density areas under the first phase.
“We have allocated about $350 000 towards acquiring pre-paid meters. We have purchased 1 000 meters and we have started the process of installing them within the CBD. This is just the first phase of the project. We will move on to install meters in the low and medium density areas under this phase. For now officers have installed about 100 meters and the process is still ongoing,” he said.
Mr Luthe said the second phase which will see the project being implemented in high density suburbs will be done before year end. He said the new system will assist in ensuring that residents are up to date with their water bills. He said under the new system residents were also expected to make payment plans to clear their outstanding water payment arrears.
“Residents will now be paying for the water as they consume it. Those with arrears will be paying bit by bit. When rate payers purchase their water 20 percent of the money will go towards clearing the debt while 80 percent will go towards current consumption. This is to ensure that rate payers are not burdened while at the same time we are able to recover unpaid bills,” he said.
At the beginning of the year rate payers owed council $1,2 million in unpaid water bills. Mr Luthe said the council also purchased a tipper truck worth $88 000 to enhance road maintenance and rehabilitation as part of efforts to improve service delivery in the border town.
The council is also expected to introduce pre-paid parking in the border town’s CBD as part of efforts to boost revenue collection and decongest the area. Motorists will be expected to pay $0,50 for 30 minutes parking.
Other projects lined up for the year include road rehabilitation and construction of roads with an allocation of $189 000, rehabilitation of Dingumuzi Stadium and recreational centres in the border town with an allocation of $25 000, completion of Dingumuzi Clinic with an allocation of $18 000, constructing Matiwaza Primary School with an allocation of $20 000 and provision of public lighting with an allocation $55 000.
