A government directive to take over the management of Bulawayo’s water and sewerage reticulation has triggered a war of words with residents. They are alleging political skullduggery, which is likely to cost the ruling Zanu-PF future votes in Matabeleland, a long-standing opposition turf.
Zimbabwe’s Cabinet last month directed the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) to take over the network from local authorities. Government has insisted the move is in the best interests of the city, but residents and civil society leaders are not convinced. Opposition to the takeover has fallen on deaf ears; government is determined not to reverse its decision, which has divided even the ranks of ruling party members.
Zimbabwe Minister of Water Resources and Infrastructural Development Munacho Mutezo met with Bulawayo city councillors in an attempt to defend government’s decision.
”The decision is very clear that we are saying no to the Zinwa takeover of the water and sewerage reticulation,” executive mayor Japhet Ndabeni-Ncube told the Mail & Guardian in Bulawayo. ”We are firm on that. We asked him to take our standpoint back to the government, even if it means taking it to the Cabinet with a view of a revision to that decision.”
The issue of water provision to BulaÂÂwayo and the Matabeleland region has remained a political sore point for residents and industrialists who have long blamed government for ignoring successive crises in a region that is prone to drought. Bulawayo has traditionally been Zimbabwe’s industrial and commercial capital.
Ndabeni-Ncube said the city’s refusal to hand over to Zinwa is owing, at least in part, to the fact that it generates significant income for local authorities.
The water and sewerage reticulation account is the city’s cash cow, contributing 40% of its total income. The city stands to lose Z$62,9million a month in revenue should the takeover be effected.
”As it is, for this year we are expecting a surplus from the water and sewerage account of about Z$30billion. This surplus enables us to cross-subsidise other vital service delivery areas in the city, such as education, housing and community services,” said Ndabeni-Ncube, who was elected to the position of second executive mayor for the city on an opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) ticket. He added: ”This is our money. As we make it, we want to keep it and use it.”
Residents and civil society have interpreted the planned takeover as a political move meant to frustrate the smooth running of the city, which many say is the best-administered local authority in Zimbabwe. In Bulawayo, the MDC has 25 out of 29 wards. The party also won the majority of parliamentary seats in Matabeleland during the landmark 2000 elections.
Sources in Zanu-PF’s structures in Bulawayo Provinces told the M&G that, during a closed-door meeting with Mutezo, party members told him the Zinwa move would further sink Zanu-PF’s political fortunes.
”We told him that we are battling to win back lost political ground in Bulawayo and then we have this. We made it clear to him that Zinwa was playing with fire and the ruling party should expect to get zero votes from this region in any elections,” said a source in the ruling party who attended the stormy meeting.
Ndabeni-Ncube played down the political connotations of the Cabinet directive when asked if he thought it was political. ”For the time being I do not want to think politically, because I am talking as a professional and a civil leader,” he said. ”However, if they take over, we shall begin to look as to why exactly they are taking over. I am not blind to the fact that it may be political, but I am wondering which side of politics.”
Political activist Dumisani Nkomo remains convinced that Zanu-PF is playing a political game. ”This is an attempt to destroy the local authorities, most of whom are not controlled by the ruling party. Government has been known to implement suicidal policies without caring about the impact on ordinary people. They have failed to find inroads into Bulawayo and this is an opportune time for them to destroy the good work of the council of Bulawayo.”