RESIDENTS of Hwange petitioned Parliament on Friday demanding that the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) hands over its water management powers to the local authority.
BY VENERANDA LANGA
Zinwa has been in charge of water provision in Hwange, but residents pointed out in their petition that water supplies had been erratic at the coal mining town, thereby depriving citizens of their rights to human dignity, environmental and health rights, as well as other rights.
“Residents are concerned that despite the contributions of other stakeholders to water supplies to Hwange town, Zinwa continues to be the sole beneficiary of revenues collected from Hwange residents, and is reluctant to transfer the water management and supply function to the Hwange Local Board despite its having the requisite capacity, as is now the practice and norm in other towns,” reads the petition Hwange Residents’ Association.
“We are worried about Zinwa’s persistent water disconnections, given their obvious human rights implications,” they said.
The petitioners asked Parliament to investigate all issues around the administration of water in Hwange, in particular, the dual administration of water by the Hwange Local Board and Zinwa, and the role played by the Zimbabwe Power Company in pumping water from the Zambezi River.
“Parliament must investigate the impact of the indiscriminate water disconnections to the entire Hwange town by Zinwa in disregard of the legal position that such disconnections must follow court orders and the accuracy of the water billing system.”
The petitioners urged Parliament, in its oversight function to protect the constitutionally guaranteed rights of Hwange citizens to water, and to transfer the water management system to Hwange Local Board, a local authority which is accountable to citizens.
