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Leonard Ncube

Vic Falls Reporter

Victoria Falls City Council needs a dedicated power line connected to the municipal water works for the local authority to solve its perennial water challenges caused by equipment breakdowns at the pump station compounded by unscheduled power cuts as a result of recurrent faults to the feeder electricity line.

As a result, residents and businesses usually endure water shedding which has sometimes caused animosity between council management and ratepayers.

The city fathers have been blaming the perennial water challenges in the resort town to lack of capacity by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) whose equipment reportedly constantly breaks down at the pump station.

President Mnangagwa, while commissioning city status to the municipality in December last year, ordered Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo to direct Zinwa to hand over water management rights to the new city council, putting to rest a long-standing battle for control of water supply between the water authority and council. Other cities manage their own water.

In an interview yesterday, town clerk Mr Ronnie Dube said the handover is yet to be done as the administration work was in progress, but he warned that residents should not expect cheaper water as costs would not fall.

Mr Dube said a permanent solution for the city water problems is a dedicated power line while using solar or diesel as alternatives was not feasible because of capital outlay and operating costs.

Zesa quoted the local authority US$360 000 for a dedicated line which the council does not have and Government reportedly pledged to help the tourism Special Economic Zone capital.

“We haven’t received water rights from Zinwa as the process is still underway. It’s work in progress. The President made the announcement and the process is being done. We are doing administration work.