Harare — THE Competition and Tariffs Commission has launched investigations into Harare Water following complaints by residents that city water bills were too high and that they continued to be billed when their taps were dry.

This comes at a time when the city councillors and managers are embroiled in a dispute over the control of revenue from water.

The commission is investigating the alleged abuse of monopoly position by Harare Water.

"The commission received a lot of complaints from the general public alleging that the city council water bills were excessive and that in areas where there was no water, the residents still received highly inflated bills," said an official from the commission who declined to be named.

City director of water Engineer Christopher Zvobgo last Friday said he was not aware of any such investigations.

"They have not come to me yet. We charge 30 cents per cubic metre, which is far less than what private suppliers charge," he said.

Private companies are selling water to residents in the eastern and northern suburbs as they fail to access city water.

A recent survey showed that water from the private sellers was 366 times more expensive than city water.

The Competition and Tariffs Commission is a statutory board mandated in terms of the Competition Act (Chapter 14:28) to promote and maintain competition in all sectors of the economy.

The commission is empowered under Section 28 of the Act to investigate any monopoly that exists or might come into existence.

Many residents have received water bills of up to US$1 000.

Meanwhile, Harare City councillors and managers are fighting over the control of revenue from water.

Councillors are insisting that a separate water account should be maintained, but some officials in the finance department want funds from water sales to be deposited into the general city account from where salaries and other operational costs are drawn.

Councillors seem to have bought the Government recommendation over the existence of a separate water account, which they argue, makes it easier to reinvest the money to upgrade water and sewer infrastructure.

Last week, Minister of Water Resources Development and Management, Samuel Sipepa Nkomo told Chinhoyi, Karoi and Kariba councils to maintain separate water accounts.

Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo supported him.

Last Friday, Minister Chombo said Harare should follow the Government directive.

Chairman of the city environment management committee Councillor Herbert Gomba said his committee had on March 1 rejected attempts by some in the management to revert to the old system where funds from water were deposited into the general account.

"We are saying under the present scenario, we have noticed tremendous improvement in water and sewer delivery. We cannot start experimenting with the old mechanism that saw the death of water and sewer service delivery," he said.

But Town Clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi said management wanted to consolidate the water and rates bill into one to save paper and ink as well as delivery costs.

Asked how council would determine what amount to be put into the water account when a ratepayer owing the city say, US$100 decides to pay only US$20, Dr Mahachi said funds owing for water would be deducted first and deposited into the separate account.

But councillors were adamant that the practice is a ploy by management to divert funds from water to other uses.

Dr Mahachi said queuing separately to pay for water and rates was inconveniencing ratepayers.

"We are looking at customer service. Two queues are an inconvenience. We do not want that. Residents should be able to pay at one point with cashiers banking the funds into separate accounts," he said.

However, should that succeed, it means the city treasurer would be a signatory and would either accept or refuse to sign for funds for the water department.

Councillors cited an incident in October 1998 when city treasurer Mr Misheck Mubvumbi was away in South Africa when the department of works wanted him to sign cheques to pay for water treatment chemicals.

When he returned from South Africa, he went to Bulawayo for another meeting without signing the cheques to buy chemicals.

Clr Gomba said some officials were now trying to influence other councillors to lobby for a system that has been proven not to work.

"We are suspicious of the composite bill. We fear management will divert funds to other uses," he said.

However, Dr Mahachi said no funds from water would be used for salaries and operational costs.

"Water is life. We cannot jeopardise water. At least 25 percent of all funds from water sales would be ploughed back into infrastructure development," he said.