By Beatific Gumbwanda
CHIREDZI – An uproar has erupted in Chiredzi Rural District Council’s Buffalo Range
Residential Scheme over what residents describe as exorbitant water bills, with some resorting to
borehole water as an alternative to council-supplied tap water, and the local authority attributing
the high charges partly to the Zimbabwe National Water Authority billing it at a commercial
rather than domestic rate.
Beneficiaries of the CRDC’s Buffalo Range Residential Project have raised concerns over the
charges, with one resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation,
saying the local authority’s water charges were significantly higher than those levied by its sister
council, Chiredzi Town Council.
The resident said this was despite CTC billing residents based on estimates, while CRDC
charges according to actual meter readings.
“We are very confused. We are paying as much as US$80 to US$1,000 in a single month. It’s
very expensive for us; it’s now cheaper to drill a borehole than to use council water,” he said.
CRDC Chief Executive Officer Ailes Baloyi said the council was being charged by ZINWA at a
commercial rate instead of a domestic rate, which he attributed to a policy misalignment. He
explained that the council incurs costs in pumping and conveying water from the Hippo Valley
canal to the Buffalo Range treatment plant and subsequently to its reservoir.
“We receive treated water from ZINWA at a commercial rate instead of a domestic rate, due to a
policy misalignment. We convey raw water from the Hippo Valley canal to the treatment plant at
Buffalo Range. After treatment, we convey the treated water to our reservoir for distribution to
residents. All the pumping and conveyancing equipment was bought and installed at the council’s
cost. It is known that the water is for domestic consumption, not any other commercial purpose,”
said Baloyi.
ZINWA Catchment Corporate Communications Officer Obert Muchena said its charges to
CRDC were for bulk treated water rather than raw water and said the authority supplies bulk
treated water at US$2.21 per cubic metre.
“We don’t provide raw water. Rather, we supply them bulk treated water at $2.21 per cubic
metre,” said Muchena.
CRDC is charging residents US$3 per unit, meaning that, based on the figures provided by the
two institutions, there is an additional charge of US$0.79 per unit between the ZINWA bulk-
water price and the council’s residential tariff.
The dispute over the charges has left residents questioning the affordability of council-supplied
water, particularly for households receiving high monthly bills.
Documents seen by TellZim News support these claims. A statement from one Buffalo Range
resident, who requested anonymity, shows a total outstanding balance of US$1,045 as of August
3, 2026, with the account being billed roughly US$372 per month over the past two billing
cycles. The resident has been keeping up with payments through a mix of cash and card
transactions, yet the balance keeps rising as fresh invoices are raised.
The situation has left many residents feeling trapped, with some saying they are being forced to
choose between paying for water and meeting other basic household needs. The residents are
now calling on the relevant authorities to intervene and address the pricing structure, which they
say is unsustainable and unfair.
