Owners Of Unregistered Boreholes To Pay Hefty Fines
6 months agoWed, 18 Sep 2024 08:29:11 GMT
The government has issued a strong warning to people drilling boreholes in the Upper Gwayi Sub-Catchment area of Matabeleland North Province without proper registration with the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA).
In a notice dated September 12, which was seen by NewsDay, the Upper Gwayi Sub-Catchment Council outlined the requirements for registering boreholes and wells and warned that those who fail to follow the proper procedures will be fined heavily.
The notice, which one D Mapolisa signed, was posted at Mhlahlandlela Government Complex in Bulawayo. It reads:
Do you have a well or borehole? Is the well or borehole registered with the Upper Gwayi Sub-Catchment Council?
If your answers are yes to question 1 and no to question 2, please visit our offices and register your well or borehole and pay outstanding levies.
Failure to do so will attract legal penalties as stipulated in Statutory Instrument 206 of 2001 and section 118 of the Water Act [Chapter 20:24].
Please be advised that it is illegal to use water from a well/ borehole without a permit. You are advised to respond to this notice within seven days.
Every visit to your property will attract a non-compliance fee of US$150 if you fail to respond within the stipulated days. Consider this your first visit.
Contacted for comment by NewsDay, ZINWA spokesperson Marjorie Munyonga said the water authority could not vouch for the authenticity of the letter in question.
However, she clarified that the Upper Gwayi Sub-Catchment Council is a legitimate organisation established under the Water Act.
Its duties include, among other responsibilities, the registration and monitoring of groundwater use. Said Munyonga:
Sub-catchment councils, which are also legal entities separate from Zinwa, retain the responsibility of registering boreholes and issuing groundwater abstraction permits and are responsible for the maintenance of the registers for boreholes.
ZINWA only steps in to assist sub-catchment councils only in instances where they lack capacity to perform their mandate.
The public is advised that in accordance with the law, individuals or entities need to obtain authority to drill and deepen boreholes from their respective sub-catchment councils.
Boreholes drilled without registration require regularisation with sub-catchment councils as well. This ensures the sustainable utilisation of groundwater resources.
According to the Water Act (Chapter 20:24) all borehole owners should register their boreholes with ZINWA or the nearest Catchment Council Offices.
All prospective borehole owners should get a permit for the drilling of a borehole from ZINWA or the nearest catchment council offices.
In 2023, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Anxious Masuka said that groundwater use, just like surface water use, is governed by the Water Act (Chapter 20:24).
He said Section 3 of the Water Act vests all water in the President while Section 4 of the same Act prohibits private ownership of water.
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75 Comments
theLastAntKing · 6 months ago
zim government should pay heft fines for failing to provide clean water to almost all urban centres
Officer#12 · 6 months ago
Haa zvakangooma hazvo.
😭😭😭
Anonymous · 6 months ago
We need new leaders
Gaps · 6 months ago
Welcome to zanu's vision 2030 were the government will make sure that people have to suffer for being a Zimbabwean, thanks to self centered zanu
Anonymous · 6 months ago
Where I live , never saw a tap running for over a decade. How do they think we are surviving? What next? Children’s school tax, maids tax, Durawall tax . Until when?
Andrew Johnston · 6 months ago
Fok julle ek het daai boorgat betaal dis myne
BHOBHOJANI · 6 months ago
MPs vakadai ngavabviswe pazvigaro, vave kusveta vanhu ropa vachitadza kuisa mvura ivo pachavo, kuTown vakatadza hakuna maBills akawanda nekuti hakuna mvura now vave kuteverera vanhu kumaruvha haaaa president munopawonawo sei apo
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1Anonymous · 6 months ago
We have useless MPs who just pass laws that affect us the electrolates mitemo yose iri kuiswa ndeye kuda kungotora mari kunesu varombo right now vave kuti radio licence isu mota dzedu radio yacho inobata mutown chete instead of upgrading facilities.Why is the president of this country allowing this to happen
Anonymous · 6 months ago
Useless MPs soon we will be asked to pay for trapped rain water from gutters. No wonder why ndebele want to have their own state
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Anonymous · 6 months ago
Our government is busy milking it's people instead of helping them they are making it even harder for a living
Anonymous · 6 months ago
The rains are coming... 2 chronickes 7:14
Humble your self repent of your sins... Ask God for rain.... He will hear your prayer... Stop trusting in man put your trust only in God... Surely he will perform he's word...
nduna · 6 months ago
l thot we had members of Parliament we voted into power
Anonymous · 6 months ago
Hatitongwe ne ma salad
Stupid · 6 months ago
Kukundikana uko ibvapo kutu
Nhata yako · 6 months ago
Failure to deliver services its your fault getaway teammbavhambwa
dj TECH 🇿🇼 · 6 months ago
of coz ! ndobasa reGVT of Zim ,kut ordinary citizen asafe kana kufa .kozvimwe zvavangagone zvii 👎
Anonymous · 6 months ago
HAKUNA MVURA MUMAPOMBI. DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO DIE? IF ACCESS TO WATER WAS NOT A PROBLEM, PEOPLE WOULD NEVER DRILL THESE WELLS AND BOREHOLES.
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Period Pain · 6 months ago
They will soon announce that exhaling of carbon dioxide is a crime as this will pollute oxygen.....
Rafiki · 6 months ago
Soon they will force oxygen tax
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Ediots · 6 months ago
In a nation facing a water supply crisis boreholes the right to access water trumps the permit requirement. its a matter of sustainability. at this rate owning a solor power system at your home will become taxable soon.
Anonymous · 6 months ago
Of course. When your government has a determined intention to destroy all meaningful production capability within the country, they have no alternative but to tax things that they never helped procure or develop.
Oncemore · 6 months ago
Our Mps are useless, how could they allowed that to happen. Zinwa must give reasons for their action. The reason for chasing whites was to make production on the land, how can we succeed without water. We should not continue begging for food from abroad when we have ground water at our disposal. Kufa ne nyota makumbo ari mumvura, takarwirei hondo. Rusununguko
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Anonymous · 6 months ago
Production was already on the land. It's only when it was given to Zanoids that the agricultural sector went from surplus to mothballs. And incompetents still believe they did it for the good of the people.
mudzi wembboro YaMnangagwa · 6 months ago
Zanu inotibira maresources edu sevagari venharaunda
??? · 6 months ago
Asi mvura yemuna Gwai yacho yakaiswa ndivo here amana mukunyanya kuomesa zviro kani
1Nigel · 6 months ago
Zinwa isn't being fair, it's estimating your water bill kumvura usiri kuuya pamba pako. Vanhu vave in demand of water yeZinwa vawandisa -then you drill your own Borehole, they charge u expensive registration fees before & after you drill; plus another annual payment.
1)if I drill a Borehole I've lessened zinwa's demand of water, since ndaanayo!
2)hapana pandichazoishandisa ndega mvura yeBorehole iyi, neighbors are gonna come too
Atleast these fees must be cheap if they emphasize on kuti zviri muContitution, coz hapana zvavarikuita nemari dzese idzi. Ukuwo council is pushing kuti munhu aRegiste both at zinwa and council
Captain Jack Sparrow · 6 months ago
Urikuda kuty mvura ibvepi when you know exactly we are in a drought 🤔🤔 When you know that in their coffers they have no cent to buy chemicals for water purification 😊 Let them do what they are legally mandated to do...
1Nigel · 6 months ago
What they're also legally mandated to do is provide clean water as per our rights as the people of Zimbabwe. But we know they can't right now, so we opting to drill Boreholes on our own expenses... Zvinhu zvakaomera munhu wese, waSaver to drill & install a Borehole hazvirevi kuti tavanemari but pamwe vana vatoshaiwa nyama some days kuti Mari ikwane,Ivo voona setava nemari & charge crazy prices. I don't think it should then be that expensive to register a Borehole & have many regulations.
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Rue · 6 months ago
@Nigel you're right. it's quiet surprising when people like @sparow support something senseless n unrealistic as this. This constitution you talk of was from as back as 2001 when zinwa could provide water to the people, now they can't n u still see it beneficial to people living in 2024, that's why constitutions are amended, they're for the people after al
Patz · 6 months ago
ZINWA is another toothless bulldog. Zvibhorani zvazara muma location( high density). A borehole side by side with sewer pipes. Why is Zinwa not administering the Water Act. The whole Authority sleeping on duty. Why cant they register those suitable for regularisation to boost state revenue and why cant they close those which are a healthy hazard. Why cant they penalise those thousands and thousands of boreholes drilled without a permit. We need to boost revenue so that vanaChivhayo vakaba at least kunosarawo imwe yekupa mateacher.
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1kkkkkkkkkkk · 6 months ago
kanamusingadi kutitichere maborehole gadzirai ma dam mutipe mvura kwete kumarirapanezvazviitira mavakukonewa ku matainer madam kutimupevanhu mvura monyadzisa
Captain Jack Sparrow · 6 months ago
Failure to do so will attract legal penalties as stipulated in Statutory Instrument 206 of 2001 and section 118 of the Water Act [Chapter 20:24].......Even in the article they made it clear that it's a law that goes far back as 2001 ....People perish for lack of knowledge...That is the real reason why Zimbos struggle you lack knowledge but profess to be educated ... Dai ZANU yaramba ichikunzwinyirirai kudzamara maverenga your constitution and know your constitutional rights .. Otherwise muri zvimandunhunhu ....
. · 6 months ago
munonyatsonzwisisa zvinhu izvi here bamnini? People of Zimbabwe have a right to clean water iri provided by the gvt, uripi mvura yacho? Do u understand why zinwa is collecting the money for?
. · 6 months ago
that's why constitutions are amended kana zvaakusa Meka sense to the people usangosaidhira coz it's in the constitution, think!
. · 6 months ago
that's why constitutions are amended kana zvaakusa Meka sense to the people. Haikona kungosaidhira coz it's in the constitution. Think!
Captain Jack Sparrow · 6 months ago
So the constitution should be amended to allow septic tanks n soakaway to be installed on a 200sqm stand like I'm seeing being done in the ghettos 😆😆😆
Dexter Nduna · 6 months ago
Saka urikut wataura ipapa
𝕸𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖛𝖆𝖟𝖆 · 6 months ago
It's no longer your borehole it's our boreholes don't fence them off from the owners (the public) Ukaramba ne mvura yechibhorane chirimuyadhi yako, ndokusungisa, WATER IS FOR EVERYONE 🙄😁😁
...,. · 6 months ago
is that to stop NGOs and concerned people from donating boreholes as only those boreholes provided by the one who our law says owns the water will or may be exempt?
Anonymous · 6 months ago
Zanu PF is above the country. They must own everything.
Corruptmore Looto · 6 months ago
Honai chiGovernment chenyu zvachoita, mira muone because of shrinking revenues which they can no longer use to fund their lavish lifestyle they will continue introducing **** taxes, kwasara kunzi kana une Solar tipe tax
🥳 · 6 months ago
pure evil ma boreholes amukachera anozara zvekut hauiwane mvura yacho ndoshingirira kut ndiise rangu moti zvakuda permit futi
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gg · 6 months ago
Aaaa ichi chimutemo ichi hachiiti vanhuwe. Ko vanhu vari kumamisha
Sir African · 6 months ago
It has never happened since 1890 that a well in rural Rhodesia was subjected a fee,if that was the case then it would have that all those who went to war would have died of thirsty
Captain Jack Sparrow · 6 months ago
Sir African you are paranoid and s t u pid. Rural Rhodesia was mostly private property ..... Think before you blut ....
Stanford Kaswera · 6 months ago
It has been a regulation since Smith Era. Registration of borehole or surface abstractions is there for the purpose of managing and regulating the scarce resource. If it is not regulated, the right for all citizens to safe, portable and affordable water will not be easily achieved. Borehole means our water table is dropping further down, and uncontrolled drilling will result in water conflicts as boreholes become dry. We need to regulate the use, the drilling and access, just like we need everyone to have an identification.
More so, Zinwa is not responsible for groundwater regulations, that's the function of catchment councils through their subcatchment arms. Zinwa will inform and direct applicants to their respective subcatchment for processing of the permits.
Furthermore, water or managed on a none political basis. So many of the comments are coming from uninformed citizens. All water is vested on the president and managed through catchment councils. Composition of catchment councils members are various stakeholders who include communal farmers, small and large scale farmers, mines, industry, schools, etcetera.
We need citizens who are aware of the water act. It is a crime to drill a borehole or well without seeking authority to do so, and all boreholes or direct abstraction from rivers must be registered. By registration, it does not imply being billed. Billing is for commercial uses only. Be informed. Water Resource Officer from LSESCC
𝕸𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖛𝖆𝖟𝖆 · 6 months ago
Ndo zvakarambwa naIsheguru of this land Lobengula Jandu Makhobolondo Ndabambi Khumalo MHSRIEP.
LEO space link 🛰 · 6 months ago
Zvipi wo uyu tuklu ayirarama nekunwa ropa revanhu uyuyu lo ube gula
1wischigonero · 6 months ago
yaaa ndatenda hangu zimbabwe ma1 chokwadi mabasa ezanu iwayo kuno kwakauya vanhu vaida kuvaka chikoro nekuchera mabolehole zvikanzi muri webato ripi vakadzokera zanu madhod** chaivo guruve yakadhakwa
King Tsonyi · 6 months ago
varikuda kukubhadharisai zuva futi Mese mune masolar muchiri hee magetsi. Then tozokubhadharisai mweya wamurikufema zvichienderana nekukura kwemhuno dzako
Chibaba · 6 months ago
Chimutemo che water act chakadhakwa, dai ndiri president venyu ndaichibvisa, pasi nemhanduuuuu
Jack zuma · 6 months ago
They are failing to provide water ku vanhu,voda mutero pavanhu vaita havo plan yekuzvibatsira chii ichocho zvimwe ngavanyarewo,ini kwangu havalume
𝕸𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖛𝖆𝖟𝖆 · 6 months ago
I presume, rivers where the majority gets their water would be registered as well, this Chavangu-Mnangagwa govt stinks to high heavens, that's why the rains are not coming, it's just to avoid being owned by the Mtapa empire.
Black Mbazo · 6 months ago
water it's belongs to God
👁️ · 6 months ago
Very quick and active pazvinhu zvinorwadza vanhu.
correct · 6 months ago
ahh saka vanu vomwei , zuva rapisa iri , muzimbabwe takungo bhadara zvese
☮️ · 6 months ago
zvakaoma hazvo . you drill a borehole and then you are required to obtain a permit kuda kudyirana badzi
Si**** · 6 months ago
Kunyepa ndokwamunoita ini ndtori muoffice yesdrilling company handikupei kana cent
cde · 6 months ago
ummmm tibvirwe apoo vanhu varikufa nenzara nenyota pakauya vanhu vanoda kubatsira movarambidza ZANU marara
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