The
case
came
to
light
during
a
recent
full
council
meeting
when
the
Public
Works
and
Housing
Committee
discussed
an
application
for
a
formal
water
connection
from
a
man
identified
only
as
L
Chengeta.
Officials
checked
the
records
and
found
Chengeta
had
already
been
drawing
water
illegally
from
the
main
line
for
two
decades.
The
committee
resolved
to
reject
his
application
on
the
basis
that
he
had
connected
himself
without
authorisation.
It
also
instructed
the
finance
director
to
refer
the
US$46,800
debt
to
management
for
recovery.
Councillors
reacted
with
shock,
and
some
called
for
his
arrest.
Ward
10
Councillor
Sengerayi
Manyanga
said
the
water
Chengeta
had
been
taking
was
likely
part
of
the
“non-revenue
water”
the
council
records
as
lost
each
month.
Other
councillors
noted
that
the
engineering
department
had
advised
the
committee
that
the
council
could
not
bill
for
water
still
in
the
main
line
before
it
reaches
storage
tanks.
That
technicality
may
have
spared
Chengeta
an
even
larger
bill.
Town
Clerk
Edward
Mukaratirwa
revealed
that
Chengeta
was
originally
connected
years
ago
but
failed
to
pay,
which
led
to
disconnection.
Chengeta
then
bypassed
the
system
and
reconnected
himself
illegally
and
continued
using
treated
water
as
if
he
owned
the
pipeline.
After
two
decades,
Chengeta
applied
for
a
legal
reconnection.
The
council
has
turned
him
down
and
left
management
to
decide
how
to
recover
the
debt.