Residents have implored local authorities to enforce measures and strategies for effective water security amidst perennially water disconnections in Gwanda town.
In an Urban resilience workshop that was conducted in November 2021 in which the council was mapping its Urban Resilience Strategy Policy Document, stakeholders implored council to facilitate an effective water security strategy.
Stakeholders suggested it was crucial for the local authority to facilitate the taking over of the water treatment plant to ensure effective management of water systems in Gwanda town.
“It has become increasingly clear that people with the least access to essential services like water, will feel the most dramatic effects of the pandemic, how can people follow health and hand-washing advice when we are faced with water shortages?” one stakeholder said.
The acute water shortages and abrupt disconnections experienced in Gwanda Town are a result of the existing relationship between Municipality of Gwanda (MOG) and ZINWA. ZINWA draws and treats water for the town before storing it, and then the local authority is billed for the bulk of the supply and it distributes and bills to its residents. As a result of this relationship, MOG and ZINWA have been at logger heads with each other over debts which MOG is failing to settle with ZINWA.
Following advocacy and lobbying by youth for ZINWA to hand over the water treatment plant to MOG, ZINWA reported to the parliament that the debt being owed by the local authority accumulated from ZW$16 million in January 2020 to ZW$ 181 million in July 2021 hence this had forced ZINWA to disconnect water for residents to force MOG to settle its debt.
Relationship between residents and the council has weakened over the years due to prolonged water challenges. The situation was further exacerbated by the recent hiking of water tariffs by the council, an action which residents alleged was a way of the municipality trying to clear the debt it owes to ZINWA.
“It is sad that residents are the ones who are made to suffer whenever ZINWA and MOG are fighting each other. There is no water security in town as a result of the dual administration of the water management system in Gwanda town, by the two institutions”, said Wellington Nare.
“To make matters worse, 70% of the debt is being owed by government institutions,” further complained Nare.
The National Water Policy launched in 2013, gave powers to local authorities to run their water affairs to ensure that efficient, affordable and sustainable water services are provided in the towns.
“The dual administration of water management systems in Gwanda, has proven to be detrimental in ensuring equitable access of water in the communities, of Gwanda town,” said one stakeholder, during the Urban Resiliency workshop.
The advent of COVID-19 further created financial challenges for the local authority on revenue collection, as most rate payers, who mostly survive in the informal sector were grounded by the pandemic and lockdown restrictions which saw their economic activities closed down, hence resulting in them failing to pay their rates on time.
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