By Correspondent
The controversial prepaid water metre project set to cover Harare, Chitungwiza, Ruwa, Norton and Epworth requires US$1,178,962,406.
An estimated 1.2 million prepaid water meters are scheduled to be installed in the third to seventh year.
They will cover Harare Metropolitan Province, covering Harare, Norton, Chitungwiza, Epworth and Ruwa.
According to Harare Residents Trust (HRT) “in the first to third years, they intend to install 650 000 prepaid water meters”.
The project has already been rolled out in areas like Harare CBD, Kuwadzana, Avondale West, parts of Mabelreign, Sunridge and parts of Greencroft.
It has however drawn criticism from many residents.
Recently a Mabelreign resident, Bernadette Makaya, filed an urgent High Court application seeking to halt the installation of the meters.
She argues that the City of Harare and its private partner, Helcraw, are operating without legal authority, in breach of the city’s own water by-laws.
Makaya accuses the city of violating the Administrative Justice Act through its failure to consult residents before imposing a fundamentally new system of water supply.She is being represented by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).
An Ecstatic Council
However, on its part Harare Council is celebrating the project.
Ward 17 Mt Pleasant Councillor Happymore Gotora said the programme is going on very well.
Helcraw Water managing director Mr Zodeck Muchoko said the smart metering programme was changing the way residents monitored and managed their water use.
“Smart prepaid water meters are transforming the way residents manage their water consumption.
“By giving households real-time visibility of their usage, we are empowering them to make informed decisions while promoting responsible water use across the city,” he said.
Harare, Helcraw and Government signed a Build, Operate and Transfer Agreement at the offices of the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works on 29 April 2025.
However, the contents of the agreement remain unknown to residents of Harare.
HRT has vowed to continue searching for the document.
“Once we have it, we will be publishing specific contents regarding this agreement, in the public interest.
“Other dialogue meetings will be held with Helcraw, Harare Water and the City of Harare to ensure that residents have the full information,” it said.
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