Plumtree town residents in Matabeleland South Province have accused the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) of providing a shoddy service.
Plumtree Residents’ Development Association last week summoned Zinwa officials to explain to residents the poor reticulation system, delays in water connection to new houses and the poor billing system.
There were fireworks at the meeting, confirmed to NewsDay by vice-chairman Mhlupheki Dube on Thursday last week.
“We had a meeting with Zinwa officials who came led by the Umzingwane catchment manager Tony Rosen on Wednesday from 4.30 pm to 6.30pm,” Dube said.
“Residents summoned Zinwa officials to explain poor water supply system compounded by pipe leakages and delayed water connection to new houses.”
Residents reportedly expressed concern over Zinwa’s billing system, which they said was unreliable.
“Our concern as residents is that we pay our bills here in Plumtree, but the Zinwa system takes about two to three months to reflect and in some cases some residents have been disconnected even after paying,” Dube said.
He said the connection to about 1 000 Hlalani Kuhle houses in the border town had worsened the situation. Rosen confirmed the meeting with residents and said some of the issues had been resolved.
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“We met residents and we agreed particularly on the issue of delays in connecting water to new houses and we promised we will improve on that and apologised to them,” he said.
“But on the billing system, their claims were not true because we bill residents to get money to run the services and we cannot allow a system which delays the reflection of payments.”
Rosen said Zinwa was working with a number of donors to address the water crisis.
