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Women of Zimbabwe Arise and their counterparts Men of Zimbabwe Arise, take to the streets of Bulawayo to demonstrate against the installation of prepaid water meters in the high density suburbs of Bulawayo yesterday

Loveness Bepete Chronicle Reporter
HUNDREDS of Bulawayo residents, led by civic society organisations, yesterday staged a demostration protesting the city council’s plans to introduce prepaid water meters.The protesters claimed prepaid water meters would lead to disease outbreaks as poor residents were likely to have their water supplies terminated.

Reason Ngwenya, the chairperson of the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA), threatened to mobilise residents and storm the Bulawayo City Council Chambers if councillors pushed ahead with plans to force residents to pay for water in advance.

“If they oppose our voices, we’ll take further action. It’s not a threat. It’s a promise that we’re going to fulfil if our concerns are ignored,” said Ngwenya.

Council bosses say the decision to install prepaid water meters came as a directive from the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate.

The ministry is said to have instructed local authorities to introduce prepaid water meters to increase revenue collection.

The placard-waving protesters said the BCC’s plan infringed on their right to life. Some of the placards read “Water is a basic need”; “We did not mandate BCC to impose prepaid water system” and “We will not allow you to do that, we will never buy water”.

The residents said the council was in the habit of squandering residents’ money through buying expensive cars at the expense of service delivery.

Residents said the move by the city council was a way of oppressing women as they will be forced to abandon work and spend time queuing for water. They said water was a basic need, especially for women.

Women of Zimbabwe Arise members condemned the new meter system in the strongest of terms. WOZA’s National Structure Development coordinator, Magodonga Mahlangu, said it was unrealistic for the BCC to install prepaid water meters at a time when the majority of people were faced with economic hardships.

She said water is a basic need that should be accessed by everyone.

“We don’t want prepaid water meters, period! Residents are faced with financial constraints. Why heap more problems on them?” she asked.

Nesisa Mpofu, the Bulawayo City Council Senior Public Relations Officer, defended prepaid water meters, insisting that they were an advantage to both residents and the local authority as they taught residents to be responsible.

“It puts you in control of your budget. There’re no more surprises caused by high water bills. You can buy the quantity of water that suits your pocket and your water will not be disconnected unexpectedly,” she said in a statement.

For the BCC, she added, prepaid metering would also reduce administrative costs.

“It would improve the consumer metering and billing system, eliminate air ingress, improve water demand management and improve accountability.”