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From Munyaradzi Doma in Zvishavane
Zvishavane Town Council is set to introduce pre-paid water meters as it battles to recover $36 million owed by residents and other ratepayers. Town Secretary Mr Tinoda Mukutu said failure by residents and other stakeholders to pay up debts had affected the town’s operations. “The amount we are owed is quite frightening. “It is over $36,2 million.

“That has left us with no option but to introduce prepaid meters as has been proposed by Government,” he said.

He said disconnections and debt collectors had failed to bring the required results.

“It is like the charges we received from our lawyers, who were doing the debt collections were very high when we were receiving peanuts in the process,” he said.

Mr Mukutu said council had resolved to install prepaid water meters.

“So let us say, for instance for Shabanie Mine, which is among those owing us, we will install a bulk water metre going to their compounds.

“The water they will consume will be paid and then in the process, we will be recovering the debt, hence we can arrest some of these debts which are ballooning,” he said.

Mr Mukutu said council had already engaged companies to install the meters in the CBD, Shabanie Mine and some of the residential areas.

“Councillors had meetings with the residents and some are now forthcoming and we can say the mindset of the people has really changed and they are now paying.”