Harare Council crushes prepaid metres vandalism claims

Itai Mazire

The Harare City Council has flatly dismissed reports of widespread vandalism targeting its smart prepaid water meters, revealing that a thorough investigation uncovered just two faulty installations, both caused by human error, not sabotage.

Town Clerk Advocate Warren Chiwawa said the probe found no evidence of a systematic campaign to destroy the newly installed gadgets, contradicting earlier claims by residents’ groups of a “wave of thefts and vandalism” across high-density suburbs and the Avenues area.

“We carried out a thorough probe and only two cases were reported, and these were not a result of vandalism but a result of human error,” said Adv Chiwawa.

He confirmed that the council and its private partner, Helcraw Water, are now pressing ahead with a mop‑up installation exercise in suburbs left out during the initial rollout.

“Currently the council and Helcraw are underway in a mop‑up exercise to install prepaid metres in Westlea, Warren Park, Prospect and Waterfalls area who were left during the launch of the exercise,” Adv. Chiwawa said.

Council official Eng. Kunyadini added that the nationwide programme remains on track, with the remaining areas set to be connected shortly.

“The program is being implemented in the coming weeks,” he said.

The smart meter drive is part of a national target to install 600 000 prepaid units across Zimbabwe, aims to end the era of estimated bills, cut non‑revenue water losses from a crippling 60to 35 percent, and lift revenue collection from 48 to 90 percent.

The City of Harare has already installed more than 38 000 meters, with 100 000 targeted for 2026 alone.

Under the public‑private partnership with Helcraw Water and Hangzhou Liaison Technology, the scheme also includes replacing 500km of leaking pipelines and upgrading the Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Works from 350 to 520 megalitres per day.

The Community Water Alliance has repeatedly urged the council to “fix the leaks first,” arguing that prepaid meters make little sense when 40% of treated water is lost through burst pipes.

Nevertheless, Adv. Chiwawa defended the rollout, warning that deliberate destruction of public property remains a serious offence, even if the latest probe found no such cases.

“Vandalism of public property is a serious offence and warrants a jail term,” he said, echoing Mayor Jacob Mafume’s earlier stance.

With the mop‑up now underway and the national expansion set to continue in coming weeks, the council insists the smart meter programme is on course, vandalism or not.