In Harare, a city long acquainted with the gap between institutional promise and lived reality, a new technology meant to bring fairness to water billing has instead deepened mistrust. Smart prepaid meters installed in March 2026 have been charging residents for air trapped in aging pipes — phantom consumption that drains credit in days rather than weeks. The council and its contractor have acknowledged the flaw but deflected calls for compensation, while residents and their advocates ask the older, harder question: who is accountable when the powerful move fast and the vulnerable pay the pric
Harare residents demand compensation for faulty prepaid water meter overcharges
Residents unable to afford adequate water supply due to overcharging on faulty meters, forcing some to abandon the system entirely.