BY STAFF REPORTER

Victoria Falls residents have cried foul over unjustified water bills which have been galloping by over 500 percent since the beginning of the year. 

Residents accused the council of using estimated water billing system charges, instead of the actual meter reading.

Agitated residents vented in a meeting called by the Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association (Vifacora) at Chinotimba Community Hall on Tuesday.

They said they did not understand how the council was pegging their water bill charges considering that there is no frequent follow up meter readings in the houses.

A cubic liter of purified water in high density suburbs cost US$55 cents

“Last month, my neighbor was charged US$75 for water bill while his monthly charge used to be pegged at around US$10 per month,” one resident revealed. 

“When he went to complain, the US$75 bill was reduced to $10 000 and the next month he was charged US$5.

“This shows irregularities happening at council because no one is coming to take meter readings,” he said 

His sentiments were also  echoed by Vifacora’s executive member Trymore Ndolo who revealed that the council was no longer doing meter reading due to shortage of staff.

“Council does not have capacity in terms of manpower to do meter readings,”Ndolo said

“They end up doing estimates which also have its flaws of either overcharging and undercharging the person.”

Another resident who identified himself as Ganda said that such irregularities are allowed to happen because residents lack unity to tackle these issues with council.

“It is us the residents who are not united to hold the council accountable for such irregularities,” he charged

‘As we speak, Mkhosana residents are being charged for water that they are not getting and we are quiet as residents.

“We convene these meetings as when we leave, some of us go and sit with them and tell them what Ganda said, so don’t invite him to the next meeting because he is problematic. 

“There was a meeting that I once attended, I raise these issues and someone stood up and said no we need people who are progressive, but I was raising this issue that these people are stealing from us and this is the system, but us residents are the problem.

“When you look at the issue of land, towards the end of 2018 BB7 had 27 stands and when the current councillors were voted in, that land was never discussed and they ate the money for those stands and we don’t talk about it. “

Some residents said their water bills charged as much at US$300 and they feared that council was going to disconnect them. 

In a full council meeting last week, council acknowledged the water bill irregularities, but they they were in the process of investigating. 

They, however, remained silent on the previous irregular bills.

Part of the meeting was meant to discuss the 25 point allegations on the city’s town clerk Ronnie Dube, the Wild Horizon’s jetty site lease and the mayor vehicle issue. 

The residents expressed their losing trust in council management and councilors following corruption allegations tabled against them.

Meanwhile, Dube has been given five days to respond to the allegations of corruption and mismanagement levelled against him.