Minister orders Zinwa cut water supplies

via Minister orders Zinwa cut water supplies 15/12/2014

WATER Resources Minister, Savour Kasukuwere has ordered Zinwa to cut off water supplies to non-paying customers claiming they were prioritising trivial issues and wasting money on mobile phone airtime chatting with girlfriends instead of paying essential bills.

Speaking at a send-off party for outgoing Zinwa chief executive officer, Albert Muyambo, Kasukuwere said entities that supply water should cut off supplies to non-paying customers as these were prioritising non-essential issues.

“People are spending money on cell phones talking to girlfriends for long hours and nothing on water,” he said adding that “you can go and demonstrate but afterwards, you will need water to bath and that is when we will tell you pay first for the service.”

Zinwa, the state owned water utility, has been facing financial challenges owing to non-payment by a number of institutions, government agencies included.

“I support this idea of turning off water for those who don’t want to pay, how do you expect us to deliver if you don’t pay? Yes water is a free commodity from God but we charge you for the labour and service to bring it into your home,” he said.

Muyambo joined government at the age of 20 and was forced to retire after clocking 60 although there are some senior government workers who are over 75 years and working in the state.

The registrar-general Tobaiwa Mudede is way above 70 years old but there is no sign of him leaving office amid speculation he was crucial to the ruling party’s election machinery.

According to Zinwa insiders, Muyambo was pushed out of the organisation for allegedly supporting the ousted vice president Joice Mujuru just like the outgoing clerk of parliament Austin Zvoma.

“Muyambo was seen as Mujuru’s point person at the water authority. Things started changing when Saviour Kasukuwere took over as the new minister and he appointed a new board,” the source said.

Muyambo told the gathering that he was “happy to be going home to rest after putting 40-years into the nation’s water sector”. He was involved in the designing of almost all dams constructed by the parastatal including Tokwe Mukosi.