The ManicaPost
Post Reporter
THE Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) has embarked on a countrywide debt recovery blitz aimed at getting its various customers who are in arrears to pay up more than a combined whooping $19 billion it is owed.
As at February 28, the amount debtors owe ZINWA jumped up from $12,1 million at the end of November last year to $19,2 million; marking a slightly over 50 percent increase.
Among those who owe ZINWA are local authorities, agricultural estates, mines, churches, schools, domestic clients and parastatals.
In a statement, ZINWA corporate communications and markeing manager Mrs Majorie Munyonga said the predicament leaves the Authority incapacitated to provide reliable service.
“This huge debtors’ book continues to weigh down ZINWA’s operations as the revenue generated from the payment of bills is used to pay for critical inputs such as water treatment chemicals, fuel, electricity and spares. ZINWA also requires money to carry out the capital intensive dam maintenance exercises so that facilities are kept in a safe state as well as for the expansion and rehabilitation of the water treatment and reticulation systems. The Authority is also required to meet statutory obligations that include the payment of taxes, levies and creditors,” she said.
Mrs Munyonga added that ZINWA is taking measures meant to get its customers to pay up.
“ZINWA is, therefore, instituting measures to recover these debts and these measures include the disconnection of defaulting clients, engagement of the debtors themselves and taking legal action against some of the debtors,” she said, adding: “The Authority is also installing prepaid water meters to help curb the further growth of the debtors’ book with the gadgets having already been installed in Nyanga, Karoi, Mvurwi, Chivhu, Murehwa, Gokwe, Mutoko and more recently Glendale. The installation of 1 900 prepaid water meters is underway.”
ZINWA called on its customers whose accounts are in arrears to settle their bills.
“A very strong relationship between sustainable service delivery and payment for those services exists. When clients are not paying for the services they get, ZINWA consequently becomes inadequately resourced and incapacitated to provide reliable service,” said Mrs Munyonga.
