By Lynette Manzini
Harare City Council is preparing to introduce prepaid water meters in a bid to improve revenue collection and address long-standing infrastructure challenges that have left many residents without consistent access to clean water.
According to city officials, the new system will require residents to pay in advance, much like prepaid electricity, before accessing water.
“You pre-pay before you go into the library, before you talk on the phone, before you go to the hospital. Why not water?” explained Mayor Jacob Mafume.
He added that the model is intended to ensure sustainability by enabling the city to collect revenue upfront and use it to maintain and expand water services.
Currently, most Harare residents consume water and are billed at the end of the month.
However, low payment compliance, coupled with aged, leaking water infrastructure, has resulted in significant losses, with a large portion of treated water going unbilled.
This “non-revenue water” problem has deepened the city’s financial and operational crisis.
The mayor acknowledged residents’ concerns about the shift to prepaid smart meters but argued that the model is essential for unlocking financing for repairs and upgrades.
“No one is willing to give us finance without a sustainable plan. And the sustainable plan is to ensure that anyone who receives water pays for it.”
He added that provisions will be made for indigent or low-income households, with mechanisms in development to ensure they are not left behind.
Implementation of the smart water meters is expected to begin within the month, with preparatory work already completed and financing secured.
“By the end of this month, we should be able to hit the ground running,” said the Mayor.
Under Section 77(a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, every person has the right to safe, clean, and potable water.
While Harare City Council says the prepayment model will help uphold this right by improving efficiency and coverage, critics argue it risks excluding the poorest if social protection measures are not effectively implemented.
