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Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Midlands Correspondent
REDCLIFF’s water woes have worsened with the  local authority effecting a water rationing schedule that will see residents in some areas getting water once a week.

People in Rutendo suburb will be getting water at least twice a week for three hours while those in Torwood will receive water only once a week as the local authority grapples with a $ 4 million debt to Kwekwe City Council which supplies it with water.

Redcliff Mayor, Councillor Fred Kapuya, said the local authority had rehabilitated about four water tanks and pumps that would hold water supplied by Kwekwe City Council before redistributing it to residents.

Cllr Kapuya said Redcliff municipality had agreed with residents on water rationing and was going to hold a meeting on whether to reconnect water during the day or at night.

“The challenge we have is that we are struggling to settle a debt that we have with Kwekwe City Council part of which was left by Zisco Steel. Our budget is too tight that we have resolved to introduce water rationing until we are financially stable than to have Kwekwe City Council disconnecting us. We have engaged the residents and they have consented to that,” he said.

Cllr Kapuya said Redcliff municipality was proposing a $ 6, 5 million budget for 2017 and they were going for the final consultative meeting with residents.

“Our budget was reduced from $10 million to $6,5 million and we are holding the last consultative meeting so that we finalise it before submitting it to the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing,” he said.

Cllr Kapuya said the local authority was looking forward to generating more income from the services they were going to provide to Chinese investor, Mortal Investments Manufacturing Company which is constructing a $10 million cement manufacturing plant in Redcliff after purchasing 100 000 square metres of land.

Mortal Investments, which partnered with a consortium of local businesspeople, purchased 100 000 square metres of land from Redcliff municipality for $600 000.

“We are hoping that the company will create 500 jobs and they have already approached us seeking land to develop residential stands,” he said.

-@Munya_Musiiwa.