(Last Updated on November 18, 2015 by Editor)
ZIMBABWE – Ten companies and an individual have been penalised for various offences related to trade in bulk water as the Zimbabwe National Water Authority moves to pull all plugs against errant bulk water dealers.
The companies and the individual, who were fined $250 each, were netted in a joint operation between the Zinwa Groundwater Department and the Zimbabwe Republic Police from November 2 to November 11.
Zinwa corporate communications and marketing manager Mrs Marjorie Munyonga said the apprehension and penalisation of the companies was done in terms of Statutory Instrument 90 of 2013.
“One of the dealers will soon appear in court facing charges of contravening the same statutory instrument. Apart from paying the penalties, the companies were also ordered to regularise their operations.
“The offenses by the bulk water dealers ranged from pumping water from a stream without a permit, selling water from an illegal borehole, transporting bulk water without a licence, pumping water from unauthorised sources and transporting bulk water using unregistered trucks,” she said.
The joint operation came up after Zinwa received reports of illicit trade in bulk water in Harare.
Mrs Munyonga warned all registered bulk water dealers in Harare who have not endorsed their trucks as per the provisions of their licences, that they risk having their licences cancelled.
“They are reminded that it is a legal requirement to have their trucks endorsed as fit for the purpose of ferrying bulk water every three months.
“In terms of Statutory Instrument 90 of 2013, no persons ‘shall sell groundwater or surface water in bulk’ without being registered with the Authority and, any person who contravenes these legal provisions is liable to a fine not exceeding level eight or imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or both,” she said.
The statutory instrument also authorises Zinwa to carry out routine inspections of all bulk water companies and, compels all companies selling bulk water to submit records of their abstraction, the quality of their water and any other parameters that Zinwa may deem necessary.
Zinwa is mandated in terms of the Water Act and the Zinwa Act to protect and ensure the optimum utilisation of the country’s water resources.