The government has once again said it is “seriously considering” privatising Bulawayo’s water supply system, following the same model implemented in Harare, but will evaluate the Bulawayo City Council’s (BCC) alternative proposal for a municipally owned water utility before making a final decision.
Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Daniel Garwe, said this during a press conference held after a stakeholder meeting at the Bulawayo City Council chambers on Thursday.
Garwe stated the government has been looking at ways to address the water situation in Bulawayo and mentioned that privatisation remains the preferred government approach.
“We have been looking at Bulawayo water, in various areas. Number one, which is the provision of water to Bulawayo from Gwayi-Shangani Dam, which is under construction right now. We are all aware that it’s now at about 70 percent in terms of completion. The pipeline is under construction right now. That will bring water to Bulawayo and kill the problems that are in Bulawayo,” he said.
“Whilst we are doing that, we are also seriously considering privatising Bulawayo water in the same manner that we have privatised the Harare water.”
He outlined the benefits of privatisation, including prepaid water meters, which would make sure residents pay only for the water they receive, similar to the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) billing system.
“The water delivery system, if privatised with digital metering, will kill a lot of birds with one stone,” Garwe said.
“One such stone is you will pay for water that is purified and delivered. If you pay for 70 gallons, you receive 70 gallons. When your 70 gallons are extinguished, you buy more. Like ZESA, you pay for what you get.”
The minister acknowledged that BCC has been advocating for its own water utility model to avoid full privatisation but emphasised any decision must align with national oversight.
“There was a question that Bulawayo City Council has a model for providing water, and we are thinking about privatising water. Bulawayo City Council works directly under the Minister of Local Government, and we are part of the central government,” he said.
However, Garwe assured that the government would not dismiss BCC’s proposal outright.
“Whatever models they have, we will interrogate them. We will not throw them away or wish them away. If they make more sense than what we are proposing of privatising, we will allow them to proceed with that. What is not correct is for Bulawayo City Council to make a decision as a local authority and want to implement that decision, which has an impact on how this council is going to be run, particularly an impact on the residents. That is not acceptable, and they are quite aware of that.”
Garwe said experts from the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) would assess both models before a final decision is made.
“They will consult us and say, with this model that we want to implement, please guide us. We will then get specialists ZIDA involved to look at the model and do a feasibility study on those issues,” he said.
“(If ZIDA) then says, ‘look, between the two models, that which is coming from central government of privatisation and the one being proposed by Bulawayo City Council, I think that for Bulawayo City Council makes a lot of sense, so we will take that.’ If it makes less sense, we will take the central government route of privatisation.”
Garwe argued that privatisation leads to better service delivery, citing examples from South Africa and other jurisdictions.
“Privatisation’s advantages are efficient delivery and effective delivery. Private sector cannot afford to be complacent because they are driven by the desire to make a profit, so they will be efficient and all we want is proper global standard service delivery for our citizens,” he said.
BCC has been lobbying residents and civil society organisations to support its Bulawayo Water and Sanitation Utility proposal, which would keep water management under municipal control.
READ: https://cite.org.zw/bcc-pushes-for-water-utility-to-counter-privatisation/
The council’s move comes after the government announced plans to invite private investors to take over urban water systems.
An earlier partnership with Dutch firm Vitens Evides International (VEI) was shelved, prompting BCC to develop its own model.
READ: https://cite.org.zw/bulawayo-water-utility-proposal-put-on-hold/
However, the proposal has faced strong opposition from residents, who fear lack of transparency, exclusion from decision-making, and financial mismanagement.
READ: https://cite.org.zw/bcc-residents-at-loggerheads-over-proposed-water-utility/
During feedback meetings, residents accused the council of sidelining their voices in critical discussions about the utility.
READ:https://cite.org.zw/bulawayo-water-utility-plan-sparks-public-outcry/
In response, Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart clarified that the proposed utility would not involve prepaid meters or privatisation.
“The Bulawayo Water and Sanitation Utility will remain a public entity, wholly owned by the city,” Coltart said, adding it was designed to improve efficiency while maintaining public ownership.
He dismissed claims of privatisation as misinformation aimed at stirring resistance among residents.
Read: https://cite.org.zw/coltart-steps-in-to-dispel-misinformation-on-proposed-water-utility-2/
