Mzwinila Addresses Water Shortages
correspondent | Tuesday September 14, 2021 06:00
Staff Writer Tsaone Basimanebotlhe reports The population of major towns and cities has increased over the years, stretching the water demand. Environmental challenges have led to high temperatures, which depleted water sources. The equipment that is used by Water Utilities Corporation is old and always under maintenance. The Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Kefentse Mzwinila said the Masama Project is complete and the levels of water supply in 15 constituencies are going to improve.
He said those constituencies include the four Gaborone constituencies, two Kgatleng constituencies, two Molepolole constituencies, two Kanye constituencies, Thamaga, Moshupa/Manyana, Tlokweng, Mogoditshane and Goodhope/Mabule. “Masama Project has helped to improve the situation of water in Gaborone, which used to be bad.
Gaborone has two other water projects, which also aim at increasing the amount of water supply that costs between P300 million to P400 million and both projects will be completed next year. Another complete water plant is Mmamashia to Thamaga which will help Moshupa and Kanye and will help to improve the water supply in those villages. We have also started another Lobatse master plan to take water from Mmamashia to Ramotswa and Lobatse, which will be completed next year in October,” Mzwinila said on Friday.
The minister said in the north west, there are ongoing water projects for water improvement and another for waste water, which is expected to be completed next year. In addition, the minister said there are two major treatments plants in the central district, one in Mahalapye and another in Palapye. “Some of the villages that will be affected by these major treatments include Serowe, Mahalapye, Shoshong, Sefhare, Ramokgonami, amongst others.
The other water project between Mahalapye to Ramokgonami will cost between P300 to P400 million. While the pipeline from Selebi-Phikwe to Serule is meant to increase water supply to various villages including Mmadinare and Gojwane, amongst others,” he said. On the issue of land, the minister said his ministry is trying its best to fast-track plot allocation through allocating unserviced land. He continued: ”The only problem with the unserviced plots is that there won’t be services and therefore some may take long without developing the plots.
There are 600,000 people on the waiting list and another challenge is that the waiting list should be cleaned because some on the list have more than two to three plots. The government needs P94 billion to service land. We also have a challenge as government of buying some fields or compensating owners.”