City of Harare Mayor, Jacob Mafume, has lauded the municipality’s strategic partnership with Helcraw, stating that the ongoing installation of prepaid water meters is successfully restoring financial viability and fairness to the capital’s water distribution system. Speaking rerecently, Mayor Mafume emphasised that the transition from estimated billing to a managed prepaid model is proving to be a significant turning point for both the local authority and its residents.
The Mayor highlighted that the primary success of the partnership lies in the newfound accuracy of the billing system, which addresses years of grievances regarding shambolic charges based on mere guesswork. He noted that residents are now paying strictly for the product they are actually receiving, a shift that is rebuilding essential trust between the council and the ratepayer. According to Mafume, this transparency encourages more responsible consumption and ensures that the city collects the necessary revenue to purchase water treatment chemicals upfront.
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However, the Mayor also addressed the persistent challenge of aging infrastructure, acknowledging that water remains an unnecessarily expensive product due to the high volume of treated liquid lost through leaking and burst pipes. He explained that while the meters ensure fair billing at the point of entry, the broader issue of non-revenue water caused by dilapidated underground networks continues to drive up operational costs. To mitigate this, the city is working to modernise its piping system alongside the meter rollout to ensure that the water produced at the treatment plants actually reaches the consumer.
In a direct appeal to the public, Mayor Mafume advised residents to take a proactive role in infrastructure preservation by reporting any visible leaks or bursts to the council immediately. He stressed that the local authority relies on community feedback to identify faults quickly so that technical teams can be deployed to provide help. By reporting these issues promptly, the Mayor believes the city can significantly reduce wastage, thereby lowering the overall cost of water production and ensuring a more reliable supply for all suburbs.
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