City Of Harare Apologises For US$4.90 Water Tariff Error, Says Only 5 Residents Affected
The City of Harare has apologised after a system error briefly inflated water tariffs to US$4.90 (approx. R90.00) per cubic metre at the Mabelreign District Office, with officials saying the glitch affected only five residents before being corrected to the approved 2026 rate of US$2.23 (approx. R41.00) per cubic metre.
The issue sparked concern among residents who had begun querying the unusually high tariffs. However, city officials moved quickly to clarify that the price hike was not official and was caused by a temporary system error.
Ward 16 Councillor Denford Ngadziore confirmed the development and assured residents that corrective measures had already been implemented.
“System Error” Blamed For Sudden Increase
According to The Herald Zimbabwe, the City of Harare acknowledged that the inflated charges were due to a technical glitch at the Mabelreign District Office on the morning of 1 April 2026.
The publication reported that the error temporarily pushed the tariff to US$4.90 (approx. R90.00) per cubic metre before being corrected to the approved rate of US$2.23 (approx. R41.00).
Councillor Denford Ngadziore reassured residents that the issue had been addressed.
He added that the problem had already been resolved.
“The glitch, which affected five residents, has since been corrected to the approved 2026 rate of US$2.23 per cubic metre, with refunds set to be issued.”
The development comes amid heightened sensitivity around service delivery charges in Harare, where residents have frequently raised concerns about water tariffs and billing inconsistencies.
Refunds To Be Issued
Officials indicated that only five residents were affected by the error, which occurred at the Mabelreign District Office.
The City of Harare has not indicated whether similar glitches occurred in other districts.
The incident comes as local authorities continue implementing 2026 tariff adjustments across various municipal services, including water and refuse collection.
Residents in Harare have previously raised concerns about billing discrepancies, particularly during tariff transitions and system updates.
However, the City of Harare maintains that the latest incident was isolated and limited to a small number of residents.
The council also encouraged residents who may have experienced unusual billing to report the issue at their nearest district office.
Residents Urged To Remain Patient
Officials also confirmed that corrective measures had already been implemented to prevent further billing errors.
The City of Harare had not yet issued a full written statement at the time of publication.
The incident comes as the council continues rolling out prepaid smart water meters across the city.
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