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Andile Tshuma, Chronicle Reporter

THE Bulawayo City Council has revisited the idea of installing prepaid water meters as it explores other means of revenue generation. 

This comes in the wake of the local authority proposing a 42 percent tariff hike as part of its 2019 supplementary budget projections.

Other possible revenue streams identified include parking meters, truck stop inns and other innovative technologies that will curb revenue leakages. 

According to the latest council report, City fathers said the changing economic environment required the municipality to introduce new and innovative ways to deliver services in a sustainable manner. 

“In order to survive the changing economic environment and continue providing world class services, Council should vigorously explore pragmatic strategies of funding. Implementation of innovative debt recovery strategies will see this Council achieving this vision. It is therefore imperative to adopt painful measures that assure the sustainable growth of the city and leave a legacy for future generations,” read the council minutes. 

In the report, Ward One Councillor Mlandu Ncube said that disconnecting water was not the best option. Instead, Council should embark on other means of collecting revenue. His view was that Council should revisit the pre-paid meters and parking system project as other alternatives. 

Ward Six Councillor Tawanda Ruzive said the economic situation was not favourable and residents should pay for the services rendered to them. 

He concurred with Clr Ncube that Council should identify other income generating projects for the city to survive adding that residents must adopt a culture of paying rates. Clr Ruzive observed that in other institutions like Zesa, there were no defaulters at all.

Ward 13 Councillor Frank Javangwe’s view was that ratepayers should be offered discounts as an incentive. The offer would motivate them to pay their rates. Councillors Mzamo Dube and Pilate Moyo also concurred on the issue of prepaid meters and the parking system which would bring revenue to Council.

The chairman of the Finance and Development Committee, Councillor Silas Chigora, was concerned that the parking system project had been delayed and should be speeded up. 

The Mayor Councillor Solomon Mguni inquired whether the resolution on water disconnections was being rescinded or not. He also agreed that the parking system project had been delayed and there was a need to urgently pursue alternative revenue streams.

In his supplementary budget speech, Clr Chigora said the municipality was working on adopting new technologies to reduce operational costs and generate revenue for the council.

“Council is aware of the plight of residents thus Council had to balance the level of service delivery and tariff affordability. Council however, intends to vigorously embark on debt recovery measures in order to reduce debtors. Council also intends to review its operations, purge any leakages and also embrace new technology to reduce operational costs,” said Clr Chigora. 

In January council mulled plans to install water flow limiter devices to restrict supply according to specific needs of consumers as the local authority moved to do away with water disconnections.

The device restricts the flow of water to set individual limits daily and may be a reprieve for low cost consumers as they would be able to set the amounts they use and pay for usage at the end of each month.

In the report, the director of Engineering Services, Engineer Simela Dube, said the flow limiters work to the advantage of rate payers.

“Because of the current challenges there is a need to look at the proposal to use flow limiters instead of disconnections as a water management strategy. The device restricts one’s consumption to pre-determined levels of supply and it is most useful to those residents who cannot afford to pay their bills,” said Eng Dube.

He said the device would restrict residents to the allocation of 5 kilolitres per month.

Eng Dube however, said specific water meters would need to be installed as the old water meters are not suitable for the initiative.

— @andile_tshuma