Residents of Mwalibonena Ward in Livingstone have demanded a refund from the Southern Water and Sewerage Company (SWASCO), for using donated water pipes.
The utilitity firm has been charging residents of Mwalibonena Ward K200, for using pipelines that were donated to the community by a cooperating partner.
“We were charged K200 per household by SWASCO for use of property that was publicly announced as a donation to the community,” said Mr Allan Shawa, a resident of Mwalibonena Ward .
Speaking on his colleagues’ behalf, Mr. Shawa said the community needed an explanation as to why the residents were being exploited.
He requested Livingstone Mayor Eugene Mapuwo, and the Area councilor to visit the community in order to provide clarity over the matter.
“The People want clarity over the matter. We are requesting the mayor, town clerk and councilor to come and address us over our lost money,” he said.
The concerned resident added that this was not the first time the community is being allegedly robbed of their money.
Meanwhile, SWASCO Public Relations Officer, Lungowe Mutumwenu however said the money being asked for from residents in Mwalibonena Ward was a subsidized amount intended to contribute to the water project in the area.
“The actual amount required is a K750, but we brought it down to a K200 as a contribution to the connections. This was done so that residents can also have ownership of the infrastructure,” she said.
In my view , the contribution of K200 is ok,The same donated piping infrastructure will need to be replaced in future as it will be aged ineffective. You wont get another donation for the same. The call should be on how the finds are being used or saved. That is justifiable form of tax, not the bole water tax.
Well dome Mr Shawa this is the kind of demand for accountability that more Zambians should follow. The same council unashamedly would rather ask for donations instead of buying such pipes but use their scarce resources to buy luxury SUVs so that their fat lazy and selfish officers can galavant around like the dull incompetent greedy buffoons they are, this is the case not only in Livingstone but across Zambia, we have selfish greedy govt officers who have just destroyed this land.
That is very good. People power. Instead of dancing and sontaring , people need to know how and where their hard earned monies are going……
Well done livingstone.
It’s about time people woke up and started demanding accountability. This blatant incompetence cannot go on unchecked. Good move Mwalibonena residents!
If only the docile Lusaka residents followed suit where the US govt has pumped in $450 million to improve sanitation and water supply yet LWSC can not supply clean drinking water