Pamela T Munyoro.
Beitbridge- (News of The South) – The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) has taken Beitbridge Municipality to court over a $32 million debt accruing from June 2011 as the battle to control the town’s water affairs rages on.
Zinwa is selling bulk water to the council which then sells treated water to the more than 70 000 residents after putting a mark-up. This has pushed up water tariffs with residents now paying an average of $8 000 monthly.
Mr Loud Ramakgapola, Beitbridge town clerk, confirmed that they received summons from Zinwa legal team last week.
“Our situation has been made worse by the fact that residents owe us $90 million in water and rates from 2011. So we have called for a meeting (tomorrow) with the residents, business and opinion leaders. We must not prolong servicing this debt. We need to come up with a strategy to pay Zinwa,”
Mr Loud wishes to agree with the residents and ratepayers on a way forward so that they are able to cover this debt before Zinwa completely stops providing water.
“This is not sustainable, we need to act now to salvage our situation. So we have invited among others those that owe us a lot of money to come over a round table,” said the official.
Initially they owed Zinwa $53 million and they were left with $32 million when $18 million was written off at the intervention of the Government.
It will take time to clear this amount but if the town clerk comes to an agreement with residents on the way forward, next year March will would have cleared.
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