CHINHOYI — Residents in some parts of Chinhoyi have gone for over 10 years without water supplies, amid reports the households were still receiving huge bills for water consumption, a situation that exposes council’s shambolic billing system.
Chinhoyi acting mayor Busani Dube-Marumahoko yesterday confirmed the development, adding the local authority was grappling to resuscitate a booster tank that feeds the affected areas.
“There are households in some parts of Orange Grove, Katanda and Brundish that have gone for 10 years without water supplies at all.We are now contemplating reviving the booster that supplies water to the areas,” said Dube-Marumahoko.
As a result of the non-availability of water, said the acting mayor, the Municipality of Chinhoyi was “fleecing” residents by charging them for a service they were not getting.
Council faced resistance by residents in settling the “dubious” bills therefore proper checks needed to be conducted before descending on individual households, he said.
Dube-Marumahoko’s remarks follow a recent full council resolution that debtors who owed more than $2 000 should get reminders, then final demand letters before they were handed over to the Messenger of Court for attachment of property in a bid to recover the money.
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However, the resolution was reached after heated debate among councillors, with others accusing those opposed to water disconnections as “hindering progress and taking populist stances”.
Acting town clerk Webster Tembo told full council that the local authority needed $20 000 per month for the purchase of water treatment chemicals following the pullout of Unicef in February, but risked failure to provide clean reliable water supply if residents were not forced to pay up.