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Lovemore Zigara, Midlands Correspondent
ZVISHAVANE Town Council is seeking $400 000 to bankroll rehabilitation works at the Mabula Sewer Ponds as well as resuscitate the Runde Water Plant.

Zvishavane town council secretary Mr Tinoda Mukutu told Business Chronicle they were looking at various initiatives to raise funding for the projects in view of population growth.

“At the present moment we can afford to supply our residents with water round the clock but as you can see Zvishavane is growing at a fast pace. We have various developments taking place and we anticipate that we might face challenges of water,” he said.

“We are proposing that we call for an expression of interest either through a Public Private Partnership arrangement or Build Operate and Transfer of a new water plant or the expansion of the existing water plant so that we can [meet] the anticipated growth. The cost of the exercise is expected to be around $200 000.”

Mr Mukutu said another $200 000 will be needed for the rehabilitation of the Mabula Sewer Treatment Plant, which he said the local authority is trying to raise internally.

“Our estimate for the Mabula Rehabilitation Plant is at $200 000, which we are trying to source internally and if we fail we will look for another Private Public Partnership arrangement,” he said.

There has been a steady growth in population in the mining town owing to the mining activities taking place.

Already over 8 000 housing units in Mabula are under construction, which is one of the many developments in the mining town.

Other housing developments underway in Zvishavane include Eastlea Extension, Emthonjeni and Light Industrial area.

Meanwhile, the town secretary announced that the local authority has identified a company to install prepaid water meters an exercise, which is set to be rolled out by December this year.

This is part of a raft of measures council is implementing to boost revenue inflows.

The local authority has been collecting an average of 35 percent of its $6,5 million budget, which has been static for the past three years.

Council is owed over $25 million in water charges and rates by residents and commercial customers with Shabanie Mine being the biggest debtor owing the local authority $10 million.

Mr Mukutu said the exercise will start with the CBD and will move to the low density suburbs before reaching the high density suburbs.

—@lavuzigara1