The Sunday Mail
Grace Kaerasora
Thousands of residents in Hopley last week had their water supply disconnected for failing to service a debt of over US$30 000 with the Harare City Council. The local authority provided a bulk water meter for residents last year after having installed at least six water points in 2005 at the height of Operation Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle.
But the residents had not been paying for the water in full, with illegal connections estimated to have prejudiced Harare City Council of over US$30 000.
Harare City Council department of water central area manager Engineer Richard Kunyadini said, “Since these connections are illegal, it is difficult to ascertain when they were made and how much council has been prejudiced.
“But we estimate that the residents owe us about US$30 000.
“Because of the illegal activities we saw it fit to stop any water supplies to the suburb until a system that allows accountability has been put in place.”
However, residents expressed no knowledge of the debt.
“Council came and disconnected water at Hopley Farm claiming that we owed US$33 000,” said a resident, Mr Luke Anderson.
“When we were allocated stands in this area, we were told the water provided to us was free but to our surprise, council had been calculating and charging us without our knowledge.”
He said residents had been contributing US$5 per household monthly to leaders of their housing co-operative for water services.
Harare City Council acting corporate communications manager Mr Micheal Chideme said it was worrying that some people were collecting water rates on behalf of the local authority.
“Municipal bills are not paid through third parties.
“We have issued several warnings to residents to desist from engaging services of third parties, especially when it concerns municipal bills,” said Mr Chideme.
