CommuTalk Reporter
GWERU – The Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) today held an awareness campaign in form of a mobile roadshow van in a bid to clarify and simplify Statutory Instruments and Covid-19 related messages.
GRRA also used the campaign to encourage residents on using water sparingly following the looming challenge after the City of Gweru announced a cut in water supply supposedly coming as a result of shortage in water treating chemicals.
GRRA President, Conilia Selipiwe said they saw it helpful to help in simplifying some messages that appear complicated in Statutory Instruments and also at the same time, take the opportunity help in informing residents on the City’s water situation.
“A lot of residents were not understanding messages enshrined in S.I 96 of 2020 which governs the issue of suspended rentals. We thereby took this time to explain to residents that the communication did not mean tenants can boycott rentals as perceived.
“We also felt tenants should be told that their rental arrears accumulated during this period will remain indebted to them. This way, we think clarity can be established to those who had interpreted the message otherwise,” Selipiwe said.
“We also took the campaign to notify residents that the looming water challenges were real and encouraged them to use water sparingly. We also advised those with money to go and pay their bills as a way to support the council’s ailing coffers towards purchasing water treatment chemicals.
“As a resident association, we are constantly pressuring council to provide water in an uninterrupted manner inside or outside a pandemic though emphasis currently is on maintaining a health environment within this pandemic,” he added.
The City of Gweru recently announced through the communications and public relations office that they had reduced pumping capacity from 40-45 megaliters per day to 27-33 megaliters per day to reasons not availed on the communique.
Meanwhile, Section 77 (a) of Constitution of Zimbabwe (Amendment No. 20) guarantees the right to safe, clean and potable water. This provision reflects Zimbabwe’s obligations to provide water to people in Zimbabwe as required in the human rights instruments that the country has accepted.
