Zinwa embarks on debt recovery blitz

Zim Now Writer

The Zimbabwe National Water Authority, which is owed over ZWL$19 billion by government departments, local authorities, irrigators and domestic clients among other debtors, has embarked on a revenue collection blitz to recover the money owed.

In a statement, the authority’s corporate communications and marketing manager, Marjory Munyonga, said as of February 28, 2023, the money Zinwa is owed by different clients had ballooned to ZWL$19 billion from around ZWL$12 billion at the end of November 2022.

Munyonga said government ministries and departments owe almost ZWL$7 billion of that total, with irrigators owing about ZWL$4 billion.

Local authorities owe about ZWL$3 billion, domestic clients ZWL$3 billion, agricultural estates ZWL$868 million, mines ZWL$468 million, and schools ZWL$321 million.

Munyonga said the huge debtors’ book compromises Zinwa’s operations as the revenue generated from the payment of bills is used to pay for critical inputs such as water treatment chemicals, fuel, electricity, and spares.

Zinwa also needs to carry out capital-intensive dam maintenance exercises in order to keep dams in a safe state and for the expansion and rehabilitation of the water treatment and reticulation systems. This is over and above the statutory obligations, including the payment of taxes, levies, and creditors that the Authority has to meet.

In order to recover the debts, Zinwa is instituting measures that include disconnection of defaulting clients, engagement of the debtors themselves, and taking legal action against some of them.

“The Authority is also installing prepaid water meters to help curb the further growth of the debtors’ book with prepaid water meters having already been installed in Karoi, Mvurwi, Chivhu, Murehwa, Gokwe, Nyanga, Mutoko and more recently; Glendale where the installation of 1 900 prepaid water meters is underway,” said Munyonga.

Zinwa appealed to all clients whose accounts are in arrears to settle their bills to ensure the strong relationship between sustainable service delivery and payment for services subsists.

When clients are not paying for services, Zinwa, as a result, is inadequately resourced and incapacitated to provide reliable service.