Masvingo man secretly taps into council water for 20 years, owes council US$46k

By Staff Reporter
MASVINGO – A Bushmead Farm resident has been exposed for secretly tapping into Masvingo
City Council’s water supply for two decades, accumulating a staggering US$46,800 debt after
council disconnected him years ago only for him to reconnect himself and continue using treated
water without paying a cent.
The brazen theft came to light during a recent full council meeting when the Public Works and
Housing Committee revealed that a man identified only as L Chengeta had applied for a formal
reconnection.
A quick check by officials uncovered that Chengeta had already been illegally drawing water
from the main line for the past 20 years.
The committee resolved to recommend that his application for water connection be turned down
on the basis that he had illegally connected himself. It further instructed the finance director to
refer to management the debt of US$46,800 for water consumed over two decades without
authorization.
Councillors expressed shock during the debate, with some demanding the man’s arrest. Ward 10
Councillor Sengerayi Manyanga suggested that the water Chengeta had been stealing was
exactly the “non-revenue water” that council records show as lost every month.
However, other councillors noted that the engineering department had advised the committee
that council could not bill for water still in the main line before it reaches council storage tanks a
technicality that appears to have saved Chengeta from an even bigger bill.
Masvingo City Town Clerk Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa explained that Chengeta had
originally been connected years ago but failed to pay his bills, leading to disconnection.
However, instead of staying off the grid, he simply bypassed the system and reconnected himself
illegally and continued using treated water as if he owned the pipeline.
After two decades of freeloading, Chengeta recently had the audacity to apply for a legal
reconnection. Council has now turned him down flat, leaving the matter with management to
decide how to recover the staggering debt.