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Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA)
Press Release
Date: 12 November 2014
Contact:
Emmanuel Ndlovu
Advocacy
and Programmes Manager
0775233581
Residents to March Against Prepaid Water Meters Again
Bulawayo residents, led
by Civic Society Organisations (CSOs) in Bulawayo will on Friday 14 November
2014 take to the streets protesting against the Bulawayo City Council’s (BCC’s)
move to introduce prepaid water meters in the city as the Right to Water
Campaign continues. The peaceful march shall be carried out in the Central
Business District from 10am, beginning at ‘Egodini’ Terminus and proceeding to
the Large City Hall where a petition will be handed over to local authority
officials.
BCC intends to pilot
test prepaid water meters in Cowdray Park’s Hlalani Kuhle area before rolling them
out to the rest of the city. Organisations that are participating in the Anti-Prepaid
Water Meter Campaign include the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association
(BPRA), the Public Policy Research Institute of Zimbabwe (PPRIZ), Radio
Dialogue, Bulawayo Agenda, the National Youth Development Trust, the Women’s
Institute of Leadership Development, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, the
Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD), Ibhetshu LikaZulu, the
Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Enterprises (ZCIEA), Victory Siyanqoba,
Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, PTUZ,
Intsha.com, Christian Legal Society amongst others.
In June, the CSOs
successfully held a march in Cowdray Park, with over 500 residents taking to
the streets calling on BCC to rescind its decision to install prepaid water
meters. Based on research on what happened after introduction of prepaid water
meters in many parts of Africa, the participating organisations’ position is
that prepaid water meters are not suitable as a water management system in
Zimbabwe. In terms of the research, the gadgets led to an outbreak of cholera
in Madlebe in KwaZulu Natal, leading to loss of life, and seriously undermined
the right to water in many poor communities. It is the organisations’
contention that similar problems would be faced in Bulawayo if the local
authority goes ahead with its plans to install the gadgets. Prepaid water
meters also lead to social disintegration and regression of women’s gains in
gender equality. Consultations in Bulawayo have also revealed that most
residents are against the move to introduce prepaid water meters. The campaign
thus seeks to encourage the city fathers to rescind the decision to introduce
the gadgets. It also seeks to raise awareness on the issue of prepaid water
meters and begin a sustained debate on it so that the views of residents are
heard.
Regards
