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| Councillor Haruchemwi Nhengu |
Livingstone Mtetwa
CHIPINGE– Chipinge Town Council has made a resolution to stop charging residents for water metre replacements and installations after residents complained that they are not responsible for metre damages, TellZim News has heard.
This came out at a community engagement meeting organized by TellZim News on Wednesday June 2, 2021 with Chipinge Urban Ward 5 and 6 councillors Haruchemwi Nhengu and Lovemore Mutimwiyi respectively.
The councilors assured residents that council was no longer charging for metre replacement as it had taken into consideration the complaints that residents raised.
“This has been one of the troubling issues with council and its residents and the council has acknowledged that water meters in most cases were not damaged by the owners. They depreciate and sometimes it is caused by the fact that they will been lying desolate for a long time without water. It also depends on the manufacturer,” said Mutimwiyi.
Ward five Block Six residents complained on how the water was being unfairly distributed saying Block Six was being sidelined.
“We had a similar experience in our block and other blocks as well but we investigated and the problem was fixed. We will look into the matter and address it. The water is indeed opened by blocks so we won’t really know what is happening until such issues are brought up,” said Nhengu
The residents however said if the local authority manages to address water and water meter issues they would have no issues.
The two councilors told residents that water issues have been on top of their priorities, through which they now manage to supply water to residents at least four times per week.
