Zimpapers Logo

Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
VICTORIA Falls residents have implored the local authority to quickly instal pre-paid water meters in the resort town saying the system in place was costly.

Speaking during a council meeting attended by ratepayers held at the council boardroom to solicit for people’s views on the proposed 2016 budget, residents said water was very expensive in the resort town compared to other urban areas.

“Water in Victoria Falls is very expensive yet we’re closer to the Zambezi River. We pay between $70 and $100 per month and one wonders how a household could consume 45,000 litres of water per month. Can you explain the 45,000 litres because people don’t understand this,” said a resident.

Another said the installation of pre-paid meters would reduce the cost of water as people would be paying for what they use.

“We want pre-paid meters. You can learn from Zesa where there’s calm now because of pre-paid meters,” said the resident.

Another resident suggested that a pre-paid water meter pilot project should start with those whose houses have no meters.

“Why not experiment with the few people who don’t have meters. When you go to buy those meters can you please buy pre-paid ones then we can see if the system doesn’t work. I’m one of those residents that are willing to be experimented with,” said the resident.

Residents challenged the local authority to also consider drilling boreholes as an alternative source of water.

The residents’ pre-paid water meter plea came after town treasurer Thembinkosi Khumalo said the municipality was working on buying more than 2,000 meters.

“We’ve asked people to buy water meters but no one has done so. About 2,700 meters aren’t working out of 7,000. What we’ll do is that we’ll buy these and then bill people for that. We’re done with buying rubbish bins now and we’ll soon be starting to buy meters which we’re going to purchase in batches of 100,” he said.

Residents said instead of buying ordinary meters, the council should buy pre-paid ones.

The call by Victoria Falls residents comes at a time when there is massive resistance to pre-paid water meters in Bulawayo.

The BCC has launched a pilot phase in Cowdray Park but there have been protests over the new system.