BULAWAYO residents have complained about the city council’s “flawed” billing system, which they blame for high water consumption penalties and disconnections.
Report by Blondie Ndebele
In a statement yesterday, Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) acting coordinator Emmanuel Ndlovu said the organisation was worried about the use of estimated meter readings to bill residents.
“This (estimates) has led to residents being overbilled, causing numerous problems,” he said.
“From the meetings we have been holding since the beginning of March, residents have been complaining that there are discrepancies between the metre reading records at the Tower Block (Revenue Hall) and the actual readings at their houses.”
Ndlovu said the residents were arguing that council “meter readings as captured in their billing system are way ahead of the actual meter readings” and have challenged the local authority to send its officers to check for themselves.
“Residents complained that they have been billed for the water that they did not consume and that council was using the estimates to charge penalties and therefore seize property if the amounts exceed the threshold.”
The association said the development has angered residents who have become victims of high water penalties while others have had their properties seized or water supplies disconnected because of bills based on estimates.
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BPRA urged council to immediately resolve the problem.
“We would like to call upon council to stop water disconnections, charging of penalties, and seizing of properties from residents with arrears until problems with the billing system are addressed,” Ndlovu said. “They should ensure residents are informed that the city’s billing system is problematic so that they can ensure they are not billed for water they have not consumed.”
Contacted for comment, Bulawayo mayor Patrick Thaba Moyo yesterday urged affected residents to discuss their problems with council officials.
“We don’t act on speculation,” he said.
“Those with evidence let them come forward and if they are right we will solve the problems.”
