Gweru residents have vowed to fight water disconnections being carried out by council, arguing that the move was unconstitutional and a disservice to ratepayers.
By Stephen Chadenga
Over the past months Gweru City Council has been disconnecting water supplies to residents over outstanding bills. “Residents have agreed to fight the water disconnections because they feel the move is unconstitutional,” Gweru Residents Forum (GRF) director Charles Mazorodze said yesterday at a residents meeting.
“Water is a right and the city council cannot go on arbitrary disconnections of water without court orders and as residents we will take the fight to the doorstep of city fathers.”
Mazorodze said disconnecting water without the blessing of the courts was illegal and a disregard of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
In May this year, the High Court ruled that it was illegal for Harare City Council to disconnect water to defaulting residents and businesses without a court order.
The residents reiterated that they would resist plans by council to introduce prepaid water meters.
Mazorodze said city fathers were failing to consult ratepayers over the programme.
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Recently, most councillors from both the MDC-T and Zanu PF said they had consulted with residents in their wards and that they had warmed up to the idea of prepaid water meters.
Residents, however, denied that they have welcomed prepaid water meters arguing that the economic hardships meant that the majority of people who have no money would fail to access water.
