Zimbabweans are famous for their “we will make a plan” mentality. No matter how much the central government and local government fail us when it comes to service delivery we strive to make a plan. When ZESA introduced 19-hour load-shedding even in urban areas, people made a plan and switched to solar and LP Gas, when councils stopped collected refuse on schedule we formed companies that did this and when councils stopped giving us safe drinking water we turned to boreholes and tanks.

When it comes to getting a borehole in Zimbabwe the process has so far been hustle free. All you need to do is find a good borehole drilling company, engage their services and they come to your place to do a sitting. Once that is done they will come, drill the borehole and when they hit water do the casing and installation. Most borehole drilling companies do not supply tanks so most people go on to find a tank of their choice. It is common for people to use 5 000 and 10 000 litre tanks as this ensure they have enough water even during days when the sun is not shining or loadshedding/ZESA faults. They often hire someone to do the tank installation.

Rusape Town council has now added a layer of bureaucracy to the whole process. Home owners now have to get certification if they want to install a water tank at their premises. Below is a notice from Rusape Town Council on the issue:

RUSAPE TOWN COUNCIL

PUBLIC NOTICE

CERTIFICATION OF WATER TANK STANDS

13-01-2025

Rusape Town Council has noted with concern the proliferation of substandard water tank stands which pose a grave risk to the inhabitants, infrastructure and community in general. It is against this background that Rusape Town Council is implementing a certification process for water tank stands to ensure compliance with building regulations.

Who needs Certification?

1. All new water tank stands with a capacity of 5000 litres or more.
2. Existing tank stands that exceed the capacity of 1000 litres or more, regardless of their structure.

Certification Process:

• Owners of existing tank stands must regularize their structures by applying for the certification of the stands.
• An inspection will be carried out by the Council’s Engineering Department.

Non-compliance will result in the suspension of the certificate of the tank stand by the local authority.

For further inquiries:

• Owners are encouraged to approach the Engineering Department to inspect and certify their structures.
• Failure to comply with the regulations may result in penalties or other enforcement actions, including removal of non-compliant structures.

Contact Information:

• Phone number: +263 772 329 789
• Public Relations Officer: 0778 531 530
• Engineering Department: +263 772 600 599
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.rusapetowncouncil.org.zw

It is good but it should be cheaper or even free

There have indeed been some accidents involving tanks falling from poorly installed stands. Right now urban construction is in dire need of regulation as it is a jungle of every person for himself. People are erecting structures without council approval and sometimes this results in disasters. However, we must never forget the reason we are in a situation where every household feels the need to fend for their own water supply even in urban areas. Thanks to corruption and years of neglect most councils no longer provide running water. When they do it’s often dirty, unfit for human consumption and often only available for some days. Chitungwiza for example only gets its water on Friday evenings.

Regulating the installation of water tanks will ensure everyone’s safety but councils are notorious for their corruption. Officers often demand bribes for regular certification processes. Those who refuse to pay bribes often fail the certification process. The result is that no one is going to be safer if the certification process is carried out like other processes have been in the past. It will just make it more expensive for people to install water tanks. The problem is there are no safety checks at all to make sure the certification process is not abused.