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Munyaradzi Doma in Zvishavane
Zvishavane Town Council plans to spend $100 000 on prepaid water meters as the mining town augments revenue to improve service delivery.

Council is struggling to recover $36 million in water bills owed by residents and companies.

Zvishavane Town Secretary Mr Tinoda Mukutu said prepaid water meters are part of strategies to recover debts.

“The amount of money we are owed in unpaid water bills is frightening, the total debt currently stands at over $36,2 million and that has left us with no option, but to introduce prepaid meters in Zvishavane,” he said.

Government has already sanctioned council’s plans.

Prepaid meters, he said, will make it easy to recover debts from companies such as Shabanie Mine. Zvishavane has already engaged companies that will install prepaid water meters in the central business district (CBD), selected residential areas and other big firms in the mining town under the initial phase of the project.

According to Mr Mukutu, engaging debt collectors has not helped improve revenue inflows into the fiscus.

“The legal costs incurred in engaging debt collectors militated against efforts to raise money for the council,” he said.

Presenting the town’s 2018 budget recently, Zvishavane Town Council finance committee chairperson Councillor Fatuma Phiri indicated the centrality of prepaid water meters in containing ballooning unpaid bills.

The mining town proposed a $7,1 million budget for next year, with rates and tariffs remaining at current levels.