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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
THE Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) has been urged to urgently review downwards water tariffs for Beitbridge Town Council following an outcry from residents and the local authority.

Zinwa is selling water to the local authority for $1.05 inclusive of VAT per cubic metre which is deemed high considering that the water is pumped just 500m from the Limpopo River.

The town also gets some of its water from Zhovhe Dam.

The director of Water Resources Planning and Management in the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate, Engineer Tinayeshe Mutazu, visited the border town on Monday to engage the local authority and stakeholders over water problems in the town.

The visit, he said, was a follow up to concerns raised by residents in a meeting with Local Government, Public Works and National Housing permanent secretary, Eng George Mlilo over the town’s perennial water woes.

Eng Mutazu said from the situation on the ground, it was apparent that Zinwa should review water tariffs for Beitbridge town.

“I came down to assess progress on the construction of a major water treatment plant which is set to ease this town’s water supply situation. The project is almost complete. We expect the commissioning to be next month. Secondly there have been concern over the pricing of water and the need to have a ground truth on the figures from Zinwa and the town council,” said Eng Mutazu.

“Zinwa supplies bulk clear water to Beitbridge at a cost and at the moment they have installed bulk prepaid water meters at various distribution points in the town.”

He added: “Listening to what the town council has put forward, there is a reason for us to revisit the numbers once again and ensure that we have fair charges and be alive to the fact that some of our people have limited means to raise such monies.”

Zinwa has also been engaged in a long running dispute with Gwanda municipality over the issue of water.

Government has since given the municipality the green light to take over the running of the town’s water treatment plant from Zinwa.

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