HARARE - Minister of Local Government Rural and Urban Development, Ignatius Chombo In order to ensure total compliance with the government directive to
local authorities on billing and supplies of water, the government of
Zimbabwe will soon dispatch auditors across the country to ensure
compliance.
In desperation, some councils have resorted to cutting off water supplies for non-payment of bills. But Chombo said if there were still councils defying the
government directive then people should report to him and he would
deal with them.
If a person does not have water then where do you expect them to get it? Even if you close the supplies, people will get ways of getting the water, please find
suitable rates that people are able to pay, said Chombo.
Several local authorities including Harare have been cutting off
unpaid ratepayers arguing that it is the fastest way of making
residents pay for services and resorting to debt collection services to squeeze
payments.
Harare Mayor, Muchadeyi Masunda said his council would follow the
government directive, but added that there was urgent need for an agreement
between the local authorities and the government on sustainable
tariffs.
We should sit down and see that we are on the same page in regard to
the tariffs that we charge to ensure they are fair to all, he said.
Chombo who argued that debt collectors charge a fee from
the rate payers. People should call the ministry to intervene if
their water is cut and local authorities should establish telephone
numbers for people to call when there is a problem, he ordered.