Local
Government and Public Works minister Daniel Garwe recently told
State-controlled media that the programme will begin in two weeks in Harare and
its satellite towns of Norton, Chitungwiza and Ruwa.
Garwe said the
second phase would see prepaid meters being installed in other cities and
towns.
The Harare
Residents Trust (HRT) said the forced prepaid meter rollout project was
short-sighted, ill-advised and reactionary to long-known challenges affecting
water service delivery and billing in local authorities.
HRT said it
learnt that authorities in government had put together an “unknown team to
conduct a countrywide assessment of the project rollout”.
“Under this
arrangement, water treatment, purification, distribution and billing will be
privatised, initially in Harare, before being rolled out across the country,”
HRT said in a statement.
“The logic
behind the introduction of the prepaid water meters, which government and
council officials are busy calling smart water meters, is that the City of
Harare has been struggling to raise revenue due to non-payment of rates by
residents.
“They argue
that the absence of a functional enterprise resource planning system, commonly
referred to as the billing system, is one of the reasons behind the necessity
for the introduction of prepaid water meters.”
HRT director
Precious Shumba said they were opposed to prepaid meters.
“We don’t like
this. They just want to take money from us,” Shumba told NewsDay.
United Mutare
Residents Ratepayers Trust programmes director Edson Dube echoed similar sentiments.
The Combined
Harare Residents Association (CHRA) said water was a basic human right and the
move would deprive the poor access to the precious liquid.
“While the
promise of improved revenue collection is often used to justify these meters,
the broader implications for residents, particularly low-income and
marginalised communities, are deeply troubling,” CHRA said in a statement.
“Prepaid water
meters effectively commercialise a basic human right, turning water into a
privilege for those who can afford it rather than a guaranteed public service.
“Evidence from
other countries has shown that these meters often lead to water disconnections
for families who cannot consistently top up their credits, compromising
hygiene, health and dignity.”
CHRA said there
were no meaningful consultations with residents before the rollout plans were
made.
“This move runs
counter to the spirit of Chapter 14 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which
promotes devolution and community participation in local governance, including
decisions that affect essential services like water.”
CHRA urged
stakeholders to prioritise pro-poor, sustainable and rights-based solutions to
Harare’s water crisis.
Garwe was not
available for comment yesterday.
In 2014,
Bulawayo City Council was forced to abandon a prepaid water meter project
rollout following protests from residents.
Residents and
civic groups argued that prepaid water meters will lead to the privatisation of
water, segregation against the poor and
result in disease outbreaks in poor communities.
In 2021,
residents of Umzingwane’s sprawling Habane township in Matabeleland South also
rejected plans by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority to install prepaid
water meters in the area. Newsday
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